Evening star., 1939-07-25

smother conflict. &ssAssz
Perhaps the David Lawrence.
most discouraging aspect of the
present situation is the news Just
received to the effect that wide
spread criticism has met the at
tempt Of R. S. Hudson, secretary for
overseas trade in the British cabi-
net, to find way to bring about a
program of cooperation between
Britain and Germany.
Bitter comment to the effect that
the plan contemplates bribery" of
the Hitler regime reveals the diff
Guilty which statesmen nowadays
have with the prejudices and deep
seated emotions which have en-
veloped the situation as a whole.
That Germany needs capital and
cannot sustain herself without more
export trade is conceded both inside
and outside Berlin. That the rest
of the world has the capital to ad-
vance to Germany is also an indis-
putable fact But what befogs the
problem is that emotions have be-
come so intense that ways out OF
the dilemma are hard to apply even
when they are found.
Naziism Feeds on Adversely.
For long time it has been apparent
that the United States Government
believed the way out of the Euro
pean war scare was to produce an
era of peace stimulated by economic
In ho to
Herr Hitler was direct hint about
economic cooperation. Those who
insist on contending that this is
bribery" do not take into account
that FasciSm and Naziism are the
result of adverse rather than pros
porous economic conditions. and
that world war would not be
threatened today if economic out
lets were available and overseas
trade forthcoming to the so-called
'have not" countries.
Although the United States has
no direct interest in European quar-
relS and American public opinion
overwhelmingly favors a policy OF
no meddling," there never has been
a time when the American Govern
ment has considered economic CO.
operation as necessarily requiring
political ENHANCEMENT Almost
every administration in the last &c
years has recognized the necessity
of economic cooperation in some
form with Europe.
Today more than ever the acute
necessity of adjusting the American
economy to world conditions is
apparent. Thus in the last "a hours
the wheat market broke downward
and corn reached a new low for six
years. Farm commodity prices are
way down. The world markets have
been, in large part, lost to us by
the artificial pegging of prices
through commodity loans so that
now the administration finds itself
compelled to pay export subsidies
in order to recover a share of the
world farm market.
Develops Practical Plan.
While Secretary Hudson of the
British cabinet may be forced into
a corner by the intensity of British
feeling toward Germany, there is
little doubt here that he has devel-
oped the one practical plan fol-
averting a war. 1t is to recognize
that nation of 85,000,000 people
now included under German SOW
ereignty, cannot be ignored as ar
economic factor in world trade, anC
that the chances of peace are bet
uIoo
mitting actual disarmament or
both sides is offered. Even if both
sides agreed for humane reasons tc
abandon their weapons. there woulc
remain the question of how to re-
arrange the domestic economy O.
each European country which has
been lately engaged in armament
production.
Clearly, any economic program
that gave promise of an era OF
peace would engage the sympathetic
interest of the American Govern
ment, though here in America, too
persons who feel bitterly about the
Nazi policies would probably use
every political means available tc
thWart 1t. In period in which
hates are being intensified each
day by pro and anti Fascist fac.
tions in America itself, the viewing
of Germany's economic needs fairly
will not be readily accepted on all
sides as a practical approach. But
such an approach will in time be-
come essential to the prevention OF
war, especially as the development
of attitudes of fairness and impair.
tiality gradually reduce the emo.
tional outbursts on both sides,
The opportunities to save millions
of lives all over the world, including
American lives, by the intelligent
interchange of capital and materia
resources will be contrasted in 1873!
with the futility of four years O.
conflict on the battlefield whict
began in 1914. And so far as un.
official opinion here is concerned
there are hopes expressed that tn,
British government will not b,
sWayed by surface criticisms. bu