Evening star., 1939-09-13

the discussion about Canada News
papermen asked him to comment on
a statement issued by the British
government in which attention was
called to CanadaS special position
as outlined by the President of the
United States in his speech at King
ston, Ontario, last year. But Mr..
Roosevelt did not hesitate to answer
the question by going into a review
of how the Monroe Doctrine orig
mated and what the purpose of the
policy was His Interpretation, which
he declares is in line with previous
interpretations in American history.
is that Canada, as well as all the
islands and possessions of European
powers in the Western Hemisphere,
is to be held in status quo and that
any threat of change or transfer IN
vites the concern of the United
States Government.
Canada now is at war. German
submarines may attack her coast or
airplanes may be sent from Russian
bases to raid her factories. The
mere existence of a war between a
nation of this hemisphere and a
European country is not sufficient
to invoke the doctrine, as there have
been conflicts of that kind in which
the United States has stood apart.
But when it appears that European
sovereignty may be extended, or an
invasion of troops occurs, or there
is any other sign of the loss OF status
by an American state, it is believed
to be a corollary of the Monroe Doc
trine that such action will be
strongly protested, if not resisted, by
the United States.
Proves Embarrassment.
What the British Ministry of In
formation which gave out the state
ment commenting on Canada's po-
sition was trying to do was to point
out how Canada, though well pro-
tected by the Monroe Doctrine,
nevertheless decided to cast her lot
with the mother country.
So far as the United States Gov
ernment is concerned, it finds the
existence of a belligerent country on
its northern border an embarrasS-
ment. Thus Holland and the Scandi-
navian countries can ship whatever
goods they please into Germany or
England, and all other neutral coun-
tries are following the same course,
but the United States is refusing un-
der it's present "partiality" statute,
as it Is now being called in the Ma
tional Capital, to allow its next door
neighbor to have implements OF
defense.
Likewise, the manufacturers and
producers in this country may ship
all sorts of weapons of war to Italy,
which is supposed to be neutral" !"
but cannot send the same goods
across the northern boundary to
Canada to help that state keep the
war from coming across the Atlantic.
Canada, on the other hand, is
going to be compelled to set up her
own munition factories and airplane
plants and to become industrialized.
Plenty of gold has been shipped by
England for that purpose. So, while
every nation in the world can sell to
Canada, the United States cannot,
and at the same time every stimulus
Is being given to the building up of
Canada as an industrial competitor
OF the United States after the war is
over.
If there were any way by which
failure of the United States to ship
war supplies could stop the war, the
administration would have harder
time to prevent repeal of the exist
ing law, but with all the world sup
plying the belligerents, the Amer
ican producers and workers alone
are deprived of the opportunity to
carry on normal trade.
Paramount Issue.
The right to carry on business with
foreign countries becomes a para
mount issue as the word goes out
from the White House that special
session of Congress will convene
soon. The policy adopted may have
to extend over three or four years.
Will members of Congress actually
insist that the workers of America
who need employment shall con-
tinue to walk the streets or live on
relief appropriations while contracts
for supplies are turned down or will
the Nation insist that America take
her position on the ground of inter
national law and sell to all countries
who are willing to pay for the goods
and carry it home? These will be
the issues.
There are indications that a
minority in Congress will fight
strenuously any change in the exist
ing law. Refusal to admit that a
mistake was made in the first in