Evening star., 1939-01-16
Town Hall Speaker
Fails 10 Appear
To Deliver Talk
Members Of Question
Panel Discuss War
Possibilities

Members of a Town Hall question
panel, led by its chairman, were sud-
denly called upon to carry on an
eXtemporaneous discussion of war
possibilities in Central Europe, when
Lord Strabolgi. chief whip and
deputy leader of the opposition OF
the British House of Lords, who was
scheduled to speak at last nights
meeting at the Shoreham Hotel,
failed to appear.
Town Hall officials, while unable
to account for Lord Strabolgi's alb
sence, declared it was the first time
in the groups f1ve-year history that
scheduled speaker has not ap-
peared for meeting.
Mrs. Richard v. Oulahan, direc-
tor of Town Hall. said today that a
telegram had been sent to Lord Stra-
bolgi's agency in New York City, in
quiring about his absence from the
program last night, but no reply
had been received shortly before
noon. He is on tour of the United
States, and has recently appeared
in programs in New York City, once
in forum broadcast nationally.
Led by Lothrop Stoddard, we'll
known author. who presided at the
meeting, panel members who took
over the meeting included Barnet
Mover of the Washington Post; Mrs
Helen Howell Moorhead, member
of the Board of Directors and secre-
tary of the Opium Research Com
mittee, and Ellery c. Stowell, chair
man of the department of interna-
tional affairs and professor of inter-
national law at American Univer-
sity.
Warning that since the European
crisis the tempo of international
action" has increased instead of de-
clining, Mr.. Mover told the audience
that the economic situation of the
dictator nations demands that they
pursue a policy of dynamic action
even at the risk of a war.
"Time to Go Forward"
He said that in the light of recent
concessions by the democracies,
Mussolini and Hitler believe this
is the time to 60 forward"
weakness by the democratic
states means dynamic totalitarian-
ism," he said. If the dictator ma
tions find it necessary to go ahead
they will assume that the democra-
cies will give way and if the latter
fail to make further concessions, the
possibilities of war which were post
poned at Munich will arise again at
some time in the future"
Discussing the Munich agreement
Mr.. Mover said that Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain "misunder-
stood his policy and did not dare
admit to himself what he had done
and called it decent retreat"
Defending the Munich agreement
Mr.. Stoddard said that both Mr.
Chamberlain and Premier Daladiel
realized that in order to fight war
they would have to be certain that
their peoples were "up to a fight.
ing pitch.
France and England would have
had to be the attackers in a war
while Germany would stand pat,
he said. Both Mr.. Chamberlain
and Premier Daladier knew that the
average Englishman and the major.
ity of French people felt that the
war would be fought for the sake
of Czecho-Slovakia."
U. S. Role Hopeful Sign"
Mr.. Stoddard said that since thu
Munich agreement both Britain ane
France have retired from theil
political salients" in Central Eu.
rope and have been more concerned
recently with taking up positions or
their own frontiers.
Recognition by the United State!
of its role in preserving world peace
is one of the most hopeful signs ir
spite of the present trends towarc
war, Prof. Stowell told the group.
Urging our support of interna.
tional law and defense against ag.
gression, Prof. Stowell said, "At last
we are coming to understand that
you must act in order to have peace.
Vulnerability of London to all
raids regardless of Britain's ali
strength plays an important part
in her fo1eign policy, Mrs. Moorheac
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