Evening star., 1939-02-13
Postponed, Not Averted

Postponed, Not Averted
It will be conceded that there is no
man in better informed position than
DR.. Eduard Benes to discuss post
Munich Europe. In his maiden ad-
dress in the United States Saturday
night, on the eve of his lecture pro-
fessorship at the University of Chi
cago, the former President of Czecho-
Slovakia spoke with cautious candor
of the situation resulting from the
dismemberment of his country and
the circumstances under which it
was perpetrated. The policy of zap
peasement," with which Prime Min
ister Chamberlain's name is chiefly
associated, served it's purpose of post
poning war last September, DR..
Benes declares, but he remains a
member of that school of European
thought which thinks that war has
by no means been definitely averted.
In language studiously devoid OF
bitterness, the frustrated guardian of
Czecho-Slovak independence placed
the blame for present conditions on
"the weakening and indisputable de-
cline of the two Western democra-
cies." DR.. Benes epitomizes his view
in these words: although rather
incline to the opinion that no con-
fict will break out in the near fu-
ture, must still admit there is no
decrease, or very little, in the fear of
heavy conflagration in Europe
eventually"
On the eve of thorough discussion
OF American foreign policy in the
Senate, and of congressional action
on the defense program, DR.. Benes'
statement has peculiar timeliness.
It should be thoroughly studied by
ladies and gentlemen on Capitol Hill.
One does not stray perilously into
the speculative realm in guessing
that something like the Czecho-
Slovak statesman's warning was
probably the Alpha and Omega of
the much-discussed and oversensa-
tionalized state secrets confided to
the Senate Military Affairs Commit
tee at the White House on Febru-
ary 7.
Last evening, in a national broad
cast devoted to the New York Worlds
Fair, Secretary Hull made the first
administration utterance on foreign
policy since the recent unpleasant
ness between President Roosevelt and
the Senate. The fortnight head of
the State Department also made
some observations worthy of consid-
Grafton at the Capitol.
"The first and most basic problem
confronting the Government in the
field Of foreign relations" said Secre-
tary Hull, is that of the preservation
Of peace for our Nation. In times like
the present, when the specter of
new major armed conflict haunts the
world, the issue of war or peace be-
comes an intensely personal one. 1t
touches every one of us. ''' = Yet we
all know that circumstances may
arise in which a nations will to re-
main at peace may be thwarted by
the actions of others. If so chal-
lenged, free people like ours can
offer no other reply but determined
defense and resistance. So long as
such possibility exists, it is the
sacred duty of a government worthy
OF the name to maintain adequate
defensive forces"
Adequate defensive forces" is
relative and flexible term. The Star
continues to believe that, in the en-
during conflict between democracy
and dictatorship, adequate" for the
United States properly includes
such assistance to sister democracies
as commercial sales of airplanes.
Such arming of the democratic states
Is one of the methods short of war"
to which the President properly has
said we, in our own interest, should