Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-09-11
Speech by Senator Walsh
Praised and Criticized.

To the Editor Of The Star:
Senator Walsh, who spoke over your
radio program September 4, is the first
casualty to the propaganda danger he
warned against. He began by stating
that the origin of the present war is in
the Versailles treaty. That treaty, the,
Senator said, was unjust. He did not
actually say Herr Hitler was justified in
the use of force to rectify the supposed
errors of the Versailles treaty, but is it
not more subtle propaganda which
leads the listener to point where the
desired conclusion suggests itself?
Senator Walsh always referred to Eng
land and France as 'so-called democra-
cies." Is that not a second subtle sug-
gestion? Namely, that England and
France are ruled by autocratic govern
ments little different from Germany?
Finally we were warned that the only
way in which the United States can
maintain neutrality is by Withdrawing
as completely as possible within our
own boundaries and spending billions for
the creation of naval and military es-
tablishment so powerful no possible
combination of nations would dare at
tack us. Would it not be more wise to
adopt a realistic view of the world situa-
ton rather than burden this Nation with
the gigantic armament required to en-
able us to face world of dictators?
The Versailles treaty obviously did not
make the world safe for democracy or
any other form of government. Il leave
to your imagination what the treaty of
Berlin would have done if Germany had
won the wary However, Herr Hitler has
already rectified by unilateral action
many clauses in the treaty, and he has
added CZecho-S lovakia for good measure.
He has now attacked Poland and fright
ened part of the world at least with the
unhappy prospect of military alliance
with Russia, combination of man
power (250,000,00O, natural resources
and technical ability stretching from
ocean to ocean, to a point only so miles
from the United States-Alaska. If Po-
land and the allies crack it may become
reality.
That is the combination Senator
Walsh is encouraging by his demand
that the miscalled Neutrality Act" be
maintained. Miscalled-and falsely call
ed Neutrality Act" because it forbids
something that has always been recog-
nized as notwithstanding freely with
either side in war so long as they give
satisfactory payment. The present Neu-
trality Act is actually an unfriendly act
toward England and France because as
Senator Walsh admitted, it affects them
alone.
Today we understand democratic
government to be Gin parD one in which
decisions affecting the national welfare
are made by duly elected representatives
of the people, where these representa-
tvs may speak, consult, and vote on
measures without fear of personal vio-
lence or intimidation. France and Eng
land have such governments. Senator
Walsh knows it. Then why keep re-
peating 'so-called democracies."
Another measure of democracy is the
degree Of freedom citizens enjoy in OBJ
tanning information enabling them to
participate in an intelligent solution of
common problems. France and Eng
land are democracies by this standard.
For centuries past their citizens have
taken leading part in mans struggle
for personal liberty. Germany has no
such tradition, their ideal being sub
servience of the individual to mythical
state. It is this disregard of the indi-
vidual which results in the Germans al
ways committing such acts as the sink
Ing Of the Athena, and so supplying