Evening star., 1939-04-21

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quarters a -e- S'S
ing of disap- David Lawrence.
pointment because the tone and ma
ture of the answer was more or less
expected, but it did, on the contrary,
develop a spirit of hopefulness for
the long run.
When the Italian dictator points
to the big Italian exposition in 1912
for which he expects world support
he is, inadvertently perhaps, con-
ceding that such an adventure will
be a colossal failure if Italy's record
before the bar of public opinion is
one of continued aggression against
weaker states.
The most significant thing about
the Italian Premier's speech is its
sense of awareness of world opinion,
which, while not strikingly demon
strated, is nevertheless plainly indi-
Gated. Reference to the United
States as a distant mediator and
to the large size of international
conferences permit of discussion
when the formal replies are laid
before the President from Berlin
and Rome.
Permits Renewed Pleas.
The United States can debate each
of the points raised and renew her
pleas for international conference
and collaboration wherein the very
errors of the past of which Signor
Mussolini complains may be recti-
fled. There was nothing about the
Italian dictator's speech which can
be construed as a definite disregard
of the premise of Mr. Roosevelt S
intervention, namely, that aggres-
sion must be halted The denial
that any nation is going to be at
tackled by Italy will be accepted here
as sincere. To do otherwise is to
provoke bitterness and discord, and
1t is worthy of note that on the
same day Signor Mussolini was
making his speech the Pope at
Rome was calling for prayer all over
the world to remove the friction
between peoples and to advance
the cause of peace.
Once assurances come, whether in
the form of denials directly or in
directly of any aggressive purpose,
the way is opened for further steps
to buttress the peace of Europe
Nations which do not wish to attack
others must then be ready to enter
conferences to reduce armament and
thus relive the world of the crush
ing economic burdens which are in
terfering with Unemployment and
restoration of world trade.
Hitler's Canvass Hopeful.
The fact that Herr Hitler is can
vaSSlng various small states and
hopes to be able to present a list of
% states which will say, presumably
through their foreign ministers or
ambassadors, that they do not fear
attack is in itself an achievement
which will have to be chalked up in
favor of the American initiative.
When the German chancellor goes
to the trouble of getting assurances
from % nations that they do not
fear attack. it Is tantamount to his
giving an assurance that Germany
does not itself intend to administer
an attack.
There will be many who will doubt
the word Of the German chancellor
but in negotiation of the kind
initiated by the President of the
United States it is going to be nee
essary for the American Govern
ment to take Herr Hitler literally.
II, in other words, he presents evi-
dence that nobody fears an attack.
and, by implication, that Germany
herself does not intend to attack, it
may we'll be asked what would be
the position of those same 81 coun-
tries and the rest of the world
when, in the face of such an ex-
change with the President of the
United States, territory is taken by
force and another weak nation is
robbed of its independence?
Roosevelt Cannot Lose.
Mr.. Roosevelt cannot possibly lose
by his peace move. And the truth
is the world will gain by such a
clear-cut definition of the issue.
For any disregard of the assurances,
direct or indirect, which now may
be given by the so-called axis powers
will be the signal for the develop
ment of remarkable unity on the
part of all the other nations. Out
side sympathy, which has so much
to do with neutrality and financial
and economic aid, would then be
universally modified on the side of
the democracies and against the
totalitarian states.
II, on the other hand, the exchange
OF messages does lead to a world
economic conference and the war
tension is eased, business in America
and elsewhere in 1899 will improve
materially, and just now that is what
really interests co-operationists and