Evening star., 1939-07-18

nedCS OF oe1ld- &$4H
tors, or whether .1al
he will allow
American policy David Lawrence,
to drift without action.
Today Mr. Roosevelt has at his
side different alignment of groups
than did his predecessor. There is,
tSr instance, Senator Norris of
Nebraska, who not only filibustered
against the arming of merchant
men in 1917, but voted against war
Mr. Norris has proclaimed his belief
that the President is right in seek
ing to exercise for America rights
of international law which would
permit the United States to supply
arms and ammunition to foreign
countries in war time provided they
came to American shores in their
own ships to get the supplies, and
provided that American producers
agreed in advance to put title to
the property in foreign hands be-
fore the products left our ports.
The policy which the Nebraska
Senator advocates is that which the
President and Secretary Hull want.
Can it be construed as a program
that will involve America in war?
Mr.. Norris thinks not. The admin
istration thinks not.
1919 Tending Recalled.
Can the issue be dramatlzed into
war and peace controversy? 1t
was so dramatized in 1919. The very
League of Nations which was Or
ganized to prevent war was hailed
by the isolationist group as a prob
. able breeder of wars. Senator
Hiram Johnson of California was
one of those who gave to the League
controversy the twist that war
would come out of the Leagues
powers. 1t never did. Nor did 1t
preserve peace, though proponents
insist this would have been ac-
Complished if America had joined.
The California Senator is today
leader of the isolationist bloc which
insists that to sell arms and NUM-
tionS in war time will involve
America in war.
Mr.. Wilson was by no means the
campaigner that Mr.. Roosevelt IS.
The radio was not then factor IN
campaigning and, if 1t had been,
Mr.. Wilson would not have been AS
effective as is Mr.. Roosevelt, who
is conceded, even by his opponents,
to be a master of the air OF SIM
plicity in radio speech.
The isolationiSt Senators followed
MI. Wilson around on his tour IN
1919, speaking in public meetings
called Immediately after he would
visit certain cities on the trip. the
reaction from the war itself ana
particularly from wartime leglsla-
ton of a restrictive sort aided the
isolationists so that the League issue
became symbolic of pro and anti
Wilson sentiment.
The so-called liberal groups
fought the League, while conserva-
tives in both the Republican ana
Democratic parties supported IT,
Today most liberals are on Mr.,
Roosevelt's side because the war
issue itself has a liberal angle to
it. The oppression of liberals by
the totalitarian states, especially the
crushing laws governing labor and
the freedom of worship, have placed
liberals strongly against the ty-
ranny of Fascism as well as Com
muniSm.
Difficult to Establish Views.
It may be difficult, therefore,
from the standpoint of lining up
public sentiment, for the isolationist
group to fight against the many
liberal elements which will be
ranged behind the President. The
controversy is really needless one
because a repeal of the arms en-
barge would merely place the United
States in a position in wartime 10
exercise or refrain from exercising
rights under international law and,
at best, the claims Of each SIDE
that war would be brought on by
one policy or another are lnsuscep-
tible of proof.
But the question of whether ones
sympathies are with totaltarlan
powers or with the democracles IS
live matter and it will be easy Tor
the speakers on behalf of the ad-
ministration to develop crusade for
democracy in dramatic phrases.
In other words, Mr.. Roosevelt Is
being handed an opportunity to tour
the country on a non-partlsan,
patriotic, international issue which
can readily dwarf in Importance the
pickering on domestic problems and
throw a smoke screen around the
whole series of New Deal adventures
in unbalanced budgets and social
reform The Republican minority
in the Senate, which had chance to
focus attention on domestic ques-
tions in preparation for 1910, pre-
ferred to aid the isolationlSts and
, Mr.. Roosevelt now can, if he chooses,
drop the neutrality bill at this ses-
sion of Congress, try it out on the
country on his way West this sum-
mer. and in Hiram Johnson's State
when visiting the San Francisco
Fair. The President can then make
up his mind after surveying public
sentiment whether he will call an
extra session in the autumn to con-
tinue to press Congress for neu-
tra,ty legislation.