The Daily Alaska empire., 1939-02-13
Must Stand Together
Cleveland Plain Dealer)


 Secrets told to bunch of Senators are appar- enty fully as secure those related in the traditional sewing circle So it is not surprising that much of the information concerning the European situation which President Roosevelt imparted to the members of the Senate military affairs committee Tuesday was straightway imparted to the nation
 One doubts if the administration feels very badly about it. Neither should other thoughtful Americans. From standpoint of national policy it is desirable that the relationship between the Relationships and the democracies of Europe, and their effect upon this nations procedure receive the fullest possible public attention
 As a matter of fact the President in his talk to the the Senators did not apparently, go far beyond the words of his message to Congress of January when he said
 along practical peaceful lines But the fact that we rightly decline intervene with to prevent acts of aggression does not that must act as if there were no aggression at all Words may be futile but war is not the only means of commanding decent respect for the opinions of mankind There many methods short of but stronger and more effective than words of bringing home to aggressor na- tions the aggregate sentiments of our own people.
 The revelation of the current sales of arpanes to France and the administrations willingness to eXpe dite similar transactions with Great Britain, indicate some of the other methods which the President had in mind.
 These methods fully justified in the light of the international situation and the obvious fact that if democracy should be destroyed the continent of Europe it could not long be safe in this hemisphere. If the day has when the first bulwark of de- mocracy in this nation is the military efficiency of France and Brtain-and incline to believe that it has-t is folly evoke wshfu thinking in attempt to deny these hard facts.
 We fully realize that this point of view. and the Presidents words to the Senate committeeman, will arouse a storm Of protest Hiram Johnson is already rumbing. One may expect new outbreak of isola- tionsm which twenty years ago contributed much to the failure to make the peace of 1919 lasting
 There men in Congress, and out of it, who will strive to make partisan capital out of the situation We realize that there many others wholly sincere and thoroughly patriotic who may disagree with the Presidents policy
 It proper that such dissent be expressed in Con- America into the danger of war. But it is reasonable rather than prejudice and in so far as is humany possible, divorced from partiSanship
 There is violation of the present Neutrality Act in the sale of planes or other munitions to France or Britain. so long the transactions cash on the barrel head. Neither of these nations is at Those who profess to the present Neutrality Act a guaranty of complete isolation may argue that the spirit of the law is violated But the record has already proved that the Neutrality Act does guarantee iso- lation.
 One does not know if the majority of Americans would today favor in all detail the policy outlined by the President in his conference with the Senators But it is sound American common to approach a hard situation realistically. This it appears to us l is what MT Roosevelt is doing