Evening star., 1939-12-29
Washington Observations
Jopon Likely to Find Congress More
BeIIigerent on Subject Of Another Trade Pact

middle way" provides for negOtia-
ton Of no new treaty unless Japan
Is willing to make a fundamental
settlement in the Far East" AS from
our standpoint. such settlement
would practically require Japan's
military evacuation of China, 1t
doesn't seem likely at this writing
that the proposed 'modus vivendi"
would be followed at any early date
by another trade pact with the
islanders. Congress, as usual, Is In
more belligerent mood than the
White House and State Department.
There's a strong support for the
trade embargo resolutions intro
duced by Senators Pittman and
Schwellenbach and by half a dozen
Representatives.
X X 4 \
Why an Ambassador in Berlin?
Just why the administration is
suddenly flirting with the idea Of
restationing an Ambassador in
Berlin is not quite clear. People are
asking what has happened since we
recalled Hugh Wilson 13 months
ago to make it either desirable or
necessary all of sudden to honor
Hitler by restoring our status in the
Wilhelmstrasse to full diplomatic
rank. All that's happened OF which
the country at large is aware since
we cut off ambassadorial relations
is that the Nazis have gobbled up the
rest of Czecho-Slovakia and Memel,
have aggravated the hardships
under which oppressed racial mi
norities are compelled to live and
suffer both in Germany and in the
conquered territories, have destroyed
Poland and have linked arms with
Stalinist Russia. That does not
strike many Americans as record
calling for any premature let's-kiss-
and-make-up policy toward the
Reich.
Breckenridge Long Well Fitted.
If, for peace preparatory purposes
or other reasons, it be decided that
we need an Ambassador rather than
a Charge d'Affaires. in Berlin, Breck-
inridge Long. who's been suggested
for the mission, is pretty nearly an
ideal choice. Missourian, Prince
tonian, Wilsonian. lawyer, historian,
a former Assistant Secretary OF
State, one time Ambassador to Italy
battle-scarred politician and we'll
to-do man of the world, "Breck' has
what it takes for the thankless Ber-
lin job His background and expert
ence are supplemented by quits. It's
easy to imagine Long standing up,
on occasion, to the rantlng Hitler
and the arrogant Ribbentrop in the
same fortnight fashion that Sir
Neville Henderson did on the eve Of
war four months ago.
If my memory serves me. Long.
on a famous occasion toward the
end of the Wilson administration,
was assigned the task of summon
ing a high-ranking attache of the
British Embassy to the State De-
partment and hauling him over the
Goals for circulating some scandal
GUS gossip about the ailing Presi-
dent. Not long afterward Ambassa-
dor Viscount Readings aide got his
walking papers.
Lightest on Her Feet.
There's popular MidWestern
United States Senator who is almost
as devoted to dancing as he is to
the farmers, though his style on the
waxed floor leaves something to be
desired. The other night. after she
had survived a round with the gen.
tleman from cOmely
young matron from the foreign dip
lomatic set remarked smilingly:
Senator, you're the lightest man
on my feet that ever danced with "