Evening star., 1939-10-13

uIlQutSl / y IldUly
sincere and high-minded fight that
the anti-repealists have made, has
obviously not happened. The quail
f1cation must always be made that
some unexpected event in the war
might turn the tide, but as mat
ters stand today the Borah- john
son-Nye Vandenberg Clark group
Of embattled contenders against re-
peal will do well if they muster 80
votes on the showdown.
What is in store for them was
clearly shown by the 65-to-26 vote
against the Topey motion to split
the pending bill into two parts. The
result was not perfect test of the
pro- and anti-repeal sentiment in
the Senate, but it was not far
from it.
Repeal Cause Strengthened.
The repeal cause has undoubtedly
been strengthened by the Russian
threat against Finland, with the
clear danger that this carries for
Norway, Sweden and Denmark,
Probably If anything further had
been needed to assure the wiping
out of the arms embargo, it would
have been supplied by the casting
OF the Russian bears new imperial
ist shadow over the Scandinavian
countries.
If for no other reason than the
fact that they have paid every in
stallment on their war debt, while
every other European debtor ma
ton has defaulted, the Firms are
enormously popular in the United
States. One of the high lights of
| recent Gridiron Club dinners in
Washington has been the reception
accorded the Finnish Minister
whenever he has been among the
diplomatic guests. In contrast with
the scattered and, in some cases.
wholly perfunctory applause for his
colleagues, the Finnish Minister
has been given, invariably, a thun.
oerous and prolonged ovation.
Norway, Sweden and Denmark
likewise stand high in the esteem
OF the American public. None of
them owes this country anything.
'Ihey are admirable exponents of the
democratic way of life. They stand
for the dignity of the individual It
is slckening to contemplate the pos
slolllty OF a Russian assault on the
integrity Of these northern nations.
A good deal has been said about
tne immortality" of shipping arms
abroad. Senator Clark of Missouri.
1or example, in his speech against
repeal, spoke passionately of the
bloody, unholy, immoral business Of
being an arsenal for death-dealing
weapons" Others, like Herbert
Hoover, accepting this immortality"
argument in part, have sought to
set up a wholly unreal distinction
between offensive" and defensive"
weapons: they would permit the sale
OF the latter, but, on moral grounds,
would ban the sale of the former,
A Question Is Posed.
The position Of Senator Clark is
more logical than that of Mr.,
Hoover. but advocates of repeal are
entitled to ask-now more than
ever-wherein consists the moral
lty' OF a position that would deny
arms to the victims of aggressor
nations.
Leave England and France. for
the moment, out of it. The question
now arises whether the United
States, in the event that the peace
loving and comparatively ill-armed
scandinavian countries are forced
into a state of war in order to de-
fend themselves against the gross
and palpable aggression of a power
ful state, will deny them the right
to buy arms in this country.
To state the question is to dram.
atize the inequity of the present
law and to answer the argument
that there is something immoral"
in the repeal proposal. OF all tho
arguments against repeal, this one
on the score of morality is the
least deserving of consideration.
Not only is the effort to repeal
the embargo made stronger on it's
merits by the threatened march
OF Russia against the Scandinavian
countries. It is made stronger also
from the viewpoint of political ex-
pediency. There is a Scandinavian
vote in this country of no mean
size and influence and the pres
ence OF this vote-though it is not,
as the experience of Congressman
has shown, much of a letter-writ-
ing vote-is political fact-of life
that will have its weight. 1t is
not expected to turn any significant
number of votes in the Senate,
where the lines have hardened and
become almost set. but It's influence
on wavering members of the House
may be considerable.
Thus have the anti-repeal forces,
50 far from seeing a popular up.
surge Of sentiment in their favor.
actually lost ground during the
progress Of the debate.