Evening star., 1939-09-04

some laSt-mln-
ute formula or David Lawrence.
device and that Herr Hitler him.
self who saw with his own eyes the
tragedies of the first war would
never consent to the imposition of
such suffering on his own people,
let alone the peoples of other coun-
tries,
But the war has come-and the
phrases are Identical. The cry of
aggression and the counter cry of
self defense or encirclement merely
emphasize that the world has not
vet found a way to restrain passion,
to build up over the years system
of collective security. For the bal
ance of power" theory, against which
President Woodrow Wilson pleaded
in vain when he urged America to
Join the League of Nations, has
again brought war to the world.
Foresaw Need of Revision.
Our time President based his
whole case for war against war"
and a war to make the world safe
for democracy" on the establish
ment of a league to preserve peace.
He declared again and again that
whatever treaty was signed would
have to be revised from time to time
and he hoped that the Versailles
Treaty itself would be subjected to
a corrective and revisionary process
by the League of Nations.
When the United States, after
helping to bring the war to vic
torious conclusion for the allied
powers, refused to put her weight
into the collective system OF world
security, the French were the first
to go back to a system of alliances
and then came counter alliances.
Instead of reduction of armaments
came bigger and bigger armaments
until inevitably the fuse was lighted.
Once more the United States pro-
claims neutrality and once more the
sympathies of many people are with
Britain and France But actual help
is not to be extended The Senate
Foreign Relations Committee less
than two months ago refused to
allow the existing embargo on arms
to be modified and, strictly speak
ing, America must now refuse to
permit the delivery of airplanes al
ready ordered or any more airplanes
In the future.
Germany Thus Aided.
Thus, by an odd turn of fate, the
first step in Americas so-called neu-
tralty is a step to help Germany.
Will American public opinion sane
ton such a development? 1t Is ap-
parent that the President was right
when he urged Congress to do some
thing definite one way or the other
this summer, but the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, by a vote OF
IL to II, declined to permit the sub
iect to be considered by the Senate
even though the House of Repre-
sentatives had passed a bill to
modify existing law.
Many Senators who voted against
any action believed no crisis was
forthcoming. Many will change
their minds now that war has come.
There will be some Senators who
will stick to their previous position
even though it Injuries the cause OF
Britain and France. They will be
called pro-German because some OF
them have constituencies in which
there are large numbers of German
sympathizers, but this will be an un-
fair charge because, after all, there
are Senators who believe sincerely
that Americas entry into the last
war was caused by permitting NUM-
tions to go to Britain and France,
thus bringing about submarine at
tack by the Germans.
Canada Provides LoophOle.
But next door to America is Cam
ada. 1t has been reported that
Canada may technically stay neu-
trail in order to be able to import
American supplies and evade the
American neutrality proclamation,
at least until the American Congress
modifies the existing neutrality law.
A reading of the neutrality statute
clearly imposes on the President the
responsibility of applying the en-
barge on arms at once, but since the
Germans could never have protected
any transatlantic shipments any
way and since the British and
French navies, in this war as in the
last, alone are able to convoy mer-
chant ships, it turns out that Amer
lea discriminates against the British
and French. Will the American
people like that? Who knows what
they think? They alone will mani
fest their feelings by notifying their
Senators and Representatives either
to stand pat on the existing law or
modify it as the President has re-
quested in the past.
The policy recommended by this
administration is plan sponsored
by Secretary Hull which would for
bid Americans to travel in wal
zones, would require European bel
ligerents to come and get their
munitions in their own ships, would
require foreign nations to pay cash
for their supplies and would insist
that legal title to anything bought
here would be transferred to the for.
eign governments before the goods
left our shores.
Threatened Filibuster.
1t was this policy which small
group of Senators refused to ap.
prove, threatening to flibuster the
whole summer if necessary so as tt
prevent vote, though it was wei
known that majority existed II
the Senate itself to support such 6
policy if a roll call were permitted
Should public opinion become suf.
ficiently assertive about the, issu'
the President will call specia
session. Such a session seems in
evitable, as the war will create man!
other pressing issues, but the tim'
for calling it has not been deter
mined. Probably week may go b!
so that the administration may siz'
UP public sentiment in reaction t,
events of these last few days. On,
thing is clear-the President has Sc
himself resolutely to the task O