Evening star., 1939-05-01


on February rs last. 1t is re-
printed here by special pernts-
sion OF the author and of the OBJ
SerDer. The first article Dds pub
liShed In yesterdays STAR
BY LORD LOTHIAN,
British Ambassador Designate to the q. 8.
The immediate. consequence of
Munich" has been the new Amer
ican armament program. This is
designed partly to make all North
America, from the Panama to the
North Pole, entirely secure from di-
rect attack, especially by bringing
aircraft production up to the output
necessary to replace the wastage of
war, and partly to defend the Mon
roe Doctrine if it were challenged in
South America.
But in the last few weeks another
controversy has come to the front,
largely stimulated by the statement
attributed to President Roosevelt
himself, that the frontiers of democ-
racy were the frontiers of France.
The practical American mind has
begun to ask whether If the United
States is going to find it impossible
to keep out of general war, its best
policy would not be to do something
positive to try to prevent such war
occurring There are few people
who openly say that the surest way
Of preventing war would be for the
United States to say bluntly to the
anti-Comitern group that an attack
on France or Great Britain would
be an attack on the United States.
But public opinion has not begun to
think in these terms. But there is
already widespread, probably a
majority, view, that provided no
commitment to war is thereby in
volved, the best policy is help France
and Great Britain to buy all the
ornaments and supplies in the
United States that they need because
the stronger they are the less likely
is war, and the less need will there
be for active intervention by the
United States, if it does break out.
But this raises the question of the
amendment of the Neutrality Act,
for if it remains unamended, the
President would be bound to shut
off the export of implements of
war" Immediately he proclaimed the
existence of war. Here we are on
much more debatable ground. The
administration would probably like
to repeal the prohibition against the
sale of arms in time of war, while
leaving the "cash-and-carry" pro-
visions intact. But there are power
ful forces which will oppose this on
the ground that 1t is the first step
down the slippery slope of unneutral
ENHANCEMENT. and under the Con-
stitution such forces have great
powers Of resistance. Probably the
strongest single sentiment in the
United States is determination not to
be "entangled" into war by commit
ment to any other nation. If the
United States goes to war 1t will be
on her own unfettered decision
alone. On the other hand, the Neu-
trality Act is unpopular in the sense
that it has served to help Japanese
aggression in China and Gen. Franco
in Spain, and an amendment to pre-
vent this IN future has already been
asked for by the President. If the
to amendment proves
formidable the administration may
decide, rather than provoke a Ma
tion-wide controversy, to leave the
act as it is, knowing that If a crisis
arose and American sympathies were
engaged it would almost Immediate
ly be swept away.
Americas Vital Interests.
But behind the general question
OF the possibility of the United
States being drawn into a world
war, there is an increasing recogni-
ton that Americas own vital in
terests are being profoundly affected
by the rise in the strength of the
powers and the relative
decline in the power of Great
Britain and France. For instance,
while Mr.. Hulls visit to Lima was
more successful than has generally
been thought in convincing the
leaders of the South American re-
publics that they have a common
interest in resisting either political
or economic aggression from Europe
or Asia. there is still widespread
anxiety In the United States about
German and Italian penetration
into South America and of the con-
sequent threat to the Monroe Doc
trine. For instance, the establish
ment of Italy and Germany in con-
trolling position in Spain and still
more in Portugal and their African
and insular possessions would consti-
tute as formidable threat to the
Monroe Doctrine and the power OF
the United States to enforce 1t as
to British communications with the
East. Similarly, if the anti-Comin-
tern powers were to declare war on
France and Great Britain, and
Japan were to break loose in the
Pacific, serious strategic menace to
South America would arise, quite
apart from the fate of Australia and
New Zealand.
These practical possibilities are
forcing responsible public men and
officials to consider American foreign
policy in much more realistic terms
than they did in the neutralist days.
One often hears people ask, What
would happen to the United States
if the British Commonwealth were
to disappear?" This raises, indeed,
an issue one already finds formu-
lated in many American minds;
whether In the end the United
States may not be forced to choose
between underpinning that demo-
cratic control of the seas behind
which she has lived, with immense
advantage to herself, for over 100
years, and seeing the control Of the
oceans and the keys to world power
pass to the triumphant fascist
powers, with immense consequences
both for her own security, influence
and cost of defense.