Evening star., 1939-09-05

an American David Lawrenct.
President can do will be effective
in keeping America neutral again
as long as two and half years or
throughout the war. Every effort
will be made, every pledge given,
but the circumstances are not
wholly within the control of Amer
lea. They depend on the ruthless
ness and barbarity of uncivilized
warfare as it affects neutral persons.
Many illusions have been dis
PEELED by the outbreak of war in
Europe and many more are yet to
be dispelled. For one thing, the
propaganda, fed the American people
by certain United States Senators,
that only munitions makers produce
war in the world seems to have
been completely shattered by the
recent actions of man named
Hitler, whose ambitions for himself
and his empire have been revealed
to be as definite as were those of
the Kaiser and Kaiserism in 1914.
Dollar Theory Spread.
hllOlllcl pCl lllCOlS WllICll val lOuS
interests have sought to tell the
American people of a new genera
ton is that America went to war
in 1917 to protect dollars and cents
invested in trade and not as a
protest against the wanton loss of
American lives on the high seas.
Today, an American President is
striving to avoid exactly those hap
penings which critics have said was
the cause of the last war. He
insists now that Americans be pro-
hibited from travelling in war zones,
that any goods purchased in America
shall be paid for in cash and the
title transferred to the foreigners
before any shipments are made so
that any destruction of property
will not be an American citizens
loss and thus bring on complica-
tions with belligerent powers.
But there is one thing the Presi-
dent of the United States in 1889
cannot control any more than could
the President in 1917, and that is the
Indignation of the American people
when innocent persons are killed
who are far away from war zones.
Had the steamer Athena been the
American ship Manhattan and had
there been any loss of American
lives, would the American people
have failed to make loud protest to
the world and perhaps insisted that
America, while not sending soldiers
or sailors overseas, render any ma
-terial help possible to the French
and British?
Until the mistaken strategy of the
German Navy makes the same error
that it did in 1917, America will
doubtless remain absolutely neutral,
but the kind of neutrality that pre-
vailed before 1917 was of major
assistance to the allies, and a re-
version to it would most likely be
considered if attacks on American
ships should begin.
Denied Lusitania.
The Germans have officially de-
MED that their submarines torpe-
doed the steamer Athena, but, in
the World War, the Berlin authori-
ties denied they torpedoed the Lusi-
tanla, when more than 1000 lives
were lost. The Athena was not
carrying war materials, but was
bound for America, so there was
not the slightest excuse for a Ger
man submarine attack.
The Presidents broadcast on Sun
day night was Slightly different from
the statement on neutrality issued
by President Wilson in 1914, when he
asked the American people to be
neutral "in thought" as we'll as in
acts. Mr.. Roosevelt says frankly it
Is possible to be legally neutral. but,
evidently recalling the criticism
which was visited on Mr.. Wilson for
asking neutrality in Thought" he
says we cannot close our minds or
our consciences to what is happen
Ing abroad. This word of friendli-
ness to the cause of Britain and
France and Poland will be of great
cheer to the democracies abroad in
their hour of crisis.
For, where there has been aggres-
sion, there can be no psychological
neutrality. If aggressors are to be
condoned, then no basis for any
peace treaty can ever exist. The
French and British gave Hitler
plenty of time for negotiation. He
refused the process of reason and
ordered Polish territory seized by
force. His justification was that
German territory was taken away
by force in 1918. Two wrongs
assuming that the Versailles treaty
was wrong-never make a right.
If nations can take what they please
whenever they please by force, then
the world must live under arms at
all times. To end such an intol-
cradle situation, war has been
begun.
Resources Enlisted.
Sadness will give way to resolute-
ness, and this time the war will be
won not by man power alone, but
by money, by navies and by raw ma
terials, of which Britain and France
possess more than does Germany.
Again the slogan is Get rid Of
autocracy, and there will be peace
with the German people" If you
substitute Hitlerism for Kaiserism,
the issue is just the same as it was
in 1914, and it may end as it did in
1918 by the overthrow of dictator
ship and the rise of German re-
public.
America will strive harder than
ever to stay neutral, but she will
supply arms and munitions through
neutral countries in Europe-possi-
bly, the Azores, owned by Portugal
which international law has always