Evening star., 1939-09-25
Observer Scouts
Theory U. 5. Must
Go In and Stop Hitler
Germany Is Now in Same
StroneIehoId as 1915,
He Declares
By COL. FREDERICK PALMER

thing I wrote. I was disinclined
to drag In the World War lest
should be considered a moth-eaten
veteran and historian. piping rem
iniscences. But the headlines, the
radio talks, the communiques, the
propaganda all ring bells that are
echoes in familiar tune of 1914,
1915, 1916 and 1917 until our entry.
Every passing day, the World War
has brought home parallels for US
IN America. Their lessons become
more and more applicable in form
ing American policy in this war.
Human nature. at least European
human nature, does not seem to
have changed much in the last Is
years. Nor has European geogra-
ply, or the character of the Euro
pean races. French, British and
German soldiers are much as they
were in 19l4-18. The United States
has not gone backward in educa-
ton, industrial and social organi-
cation and intelligence. It has 20
millions more people than in 1914,
at least 80 millions more than the
third Reich, including the Poles
that have been put under the yoke.
Old Familiar Expression.
Yet this expression is not un-
common-"we've got to go in to stop
Hitler or he'll come over and get
u.s." Substituting the Kaiser for
Hitler, that rings another bell with
which we were familiar in 1916.
How will Hitler get across the At
lantic, past the British and French
Navies in their overwhelming su-
periority? Where will he get the
transports for his troops when his
ships are interned in foreign ports?
He has yet to face in prolonged
battle the great French Army and
the British Army. BY the time he
has Paris. his army will be groggier
than it was after finishing the job
In Poland, which must have left
some of his soldiers bit tired.
1t might be called pusillani-
nous confession, by 100000 900 peo-
pie that the German Army could
attack us across 5000 miles OF ocean,
and no compliment to the British
Navy, which its enemies learned to
respect in 1914-18 and previous
naval history.
If it should become our mission
to stop Hitler when the allies fail,
1t will be lover there" as it was in
1917-18. But at present we are in no
danger Of having to 60.
View for Perspective.
Not overlooking the contention
that we are now about as near en-
tering this war as we were to enter
ing the World War in the fall of
1916, the first thing, in order to keep
close to fundamentals for the sake
OF perspective, Is to compare our
present situation with that upon
the outbreak of the World War in
1914. Then we were debtor ma
ton. The New York Stock Ex-
change closed in fear of panic, but,
In 1889, showing how much better
we were intrenched against shock,
stocks went up and the business
index advanced.
In the fourth week Of the World
War, allied sympathizers in America
were under spell of alarm lest the
army of Won Kluck, spearhead of
the German drive through Belgium,
should take Paris, but the Germans,
to win victory, had also to break
through the Gap de Miracourt in
the east and crush Foch in Cham
pagne, which they could not do.
Today, the Alsatian bank of the
Rhine covers the gap and the Mag
mot line covers Champagne and the
Marne and the French Army can
spare a huge force, along with the
British Army, to stop Hitler in case
OF another drive through Belgium
IN what is primarily European and
not an American war. This is not
saying that the allies would not
welcome an American army in
France. at once.
Our Ala TO Allies.
Now let us consider what we are
doing to help the allies and the ma
ture Of the power we are exerting
today In comparison with 1915.
Then we were house divided. We
had many partisans of the Central
powers. Stopping Hitler is far more
popular with us now than stopping
the Kaiser was with us then. The
polls show more than 90. per cent.
OF us as pro-ally. Therefore, the
allies do not have to turn on much
propaganda to prove Germany in
the wrong.
We are accepting the British
blockade as it was established before
our entry into the World War. There
are no notes of protest now, but
President Wilson wrote several late
IN 1914 and early in 1915. Actually,
the British cannot establish a tech
n1cal blockade. They do not control
the Baltic Sea. In 1914, they began
exercising the right of search and
seizure Of contraband on neutral
ships which would reach Germany
from Holland or Scandinavia. To
this President Wilson forcibly OBJ
Jected in the name of the freedom
OF the seas and in behalf of Ameri-
can business interests which wanted
access to the German market.
Sir Edward Grey, the British
foreign minister, wrote, THE allies
soon became dependent for an ade-
quate supply (of munitions) on the
United States. It was het.
ter, therefore, to carry on the war
without blockade, if need be, than to
incur q break with the United
States about contraband and there
by deprive the allies of the re-
sources necessary to carry on .he
war at all or with any chance of
success"
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