Evening star., 1939-09-03

1t is question of what will happen to
the world if the German Russian COM
bination is capable of defeating the
French and the British; the position of
this country if, as result of such
defeat, the British feet met the same
fate as that of the German fleet in 1918
What Congress will do depends en-
tirely on the spirit of the Nation. The
Senators and Representatives who took
such definite position against revision
of the neutrality law were prompted in
their action by what they believed the
country wanted them to do. And the
country is Influenced by the happenings
across the ocean.
Propaganda Is Growing.
Because of this situation both groups
of belligerents are doing their utmost to
influence American public opinion.
The Germans and the Italians are
playing the neutrality game for all it Is
worth. The Reich is spending con-
siderable amount of money IN this
country, not to gain sympathize-s for
its cause, but to influence the Amer
lean people into thinking that any at
tempt on the part of this country to
provide the warning factions with arms
and ammunition would mean an even
tual ENHANCEMENT and eventually an
active participation of the United
States in war. Because memories of
the years between 1914 and 1917 ore
still fresh in the minds of many per-
sons, this propaganda has gained some
headway
The olationists-unquestio hon.
est and sincere-believe that the "mer-
chants of death" would once more man
age to get this country into a war IN
order to collect the bill from their new
customers.
Of course, the other side is engaged
in trying by every conceivable means
to convince America that she must
help the allies
So anxious are the allies to let the
Germans do the wrong thing that they
are hesitating even now to send their
bombing planes over Germany for fear
that the American people will say that
they are the aggressors and as guilty as
the Germans of bombarding innocent
civilians. Whether this attitude will be
maintained after Congress has changed
the neutrality law is a matter which
cannot be ascertained at the present
time
The administration is not particularly
worried about this inevitable effort of
foreign governments to influence Amer
lcan public opinion. Unlike in the first
three years of the last war, this country
Is better equipped than it was then to
counter these moves. The American
people are better educated in world
affairs than they were Is years ago and
the new legislation which the admins
tration intends to sponsor will put teeth
IN existing laws with view to prevent
ing any aggressive propaganda
Fear of Sabotage.
But what worries the administration
is the possibility of large scale sabotage
on the part of foreign agents whose
governments, driven by despair, might
become more daring than they have
been in the past.
The administration is reported to be
preparing number of laws dealing with
offenders, regardless of nationality, who
might endeavor to interfere with the
work of the plants which are manu-
featuring arms and ammunition. The
number of Federal agents engaged in
counter espionage will be substantially
increased and the laws strengthened so
as to inf1ict much heavier penalties
on the offenders.
Outside of this, the President feels
that the United States is much better
prepared to meet any emergency, from
whatever quarter it may come than Is
years ago.
The backbone of Americas national
defense-the Navy-is considered by
American and foreign experts as second
to none-exceeding in quality even the
British navy. The ships are either of a
later model or have been modernized
There are no longer skeleton crews on
any men of war; they are all fully
manned with an unequaled personnel
The war games last spring and in the
early summer have shown the remark
able spirit of the Navy.
In 1918 the American officers and
sailors had to learn about naval warfare
after we entered the war. Some of the
officers felt humiliated when shots from
the heavy guns of the battleships failed
to hit the target at only 5000 yards.
The administration feels that the first
line of defense is stronger than at any
time in the history of the country.
While aviation is still tagging some
what as far as the number of airplanes
is concerned, the War Department con-
siders that the situation can be rem
edied without difficulty, thanks to the
ability of the American manufacturers
to produce larger quantity of planes
than any other country in the world, if
given the necessary money for the ex-
pansion of existing plants.
President Roosevelt and his advisers
believe that the time may come sooner
than it is generally believed when the
United States will be able to make an
other drive for the pacification of
Europe with more success than in the
years of so-called peace in Europe.
They don't know how and when it may
happen. But they feel that this coun-
try must be a first -class military power