Evening star., 1939-02-05
Our Foreign Policy

President Roosevelt'S reStatement
of the administrations basic foreign
policy should set at rest much of the
loose talk that has been banded
about of late regarding new frontiers
and secret understandings and en-
tangling alliances. He has made a
four-point reaffrmation of long
standing and necessarily broad
principles approved by the American
people and espoused by his admin
istration. 1t is obviously implied that
the definite and realistic steps which
have so far been taken or are con-
templated for the future in the
light of recognized European crisis,
are in accord with, rather than in
contravention of, those principles.
Nor does a fair and impartial
weighing of what the administration
has done in pursuance of its estab-
lished policy reveal Inconsistencies.
Mr.. Roosevelt reiterates that the
American Government is against
any entangling alliances, and he re-
fuses to concede that the sale of
military planes-and by implication,
other materials they may wish to
buy-to non-combatants by private
manufacturers is violative of this
principle in the slightest degree.
He says this Government favors
maintenance of world trade for
everybody - including ourselves"
and he holds by implication that we
are adhering to that precept when
we take any methods short of war to
preserve free trade in China, in South
America, in Europe or elsewhere.
His reference to yourselves" un-
doubtedly is significant, the i'm
plication seeming to be that America
cannot afford to sit idly by when
threats are made to close the open
door of free commerce.
Mr.. Roosevelt says we are in COM
plete sympathy with "any and every
effort made to reduce or limit arma-
ments"; but no reasonable person
can read into this pronouncement
any change in the current policy of
increasing our own defenses when
the world without enters upon a
frenzied race to arm itself to the
teeth. Reduction or limitation of
ornaments can be feasible only
when there is mutual agreement
among the powers to that end.
AS Nation, the President ex-
planned, we are sympathetic with
the peaceful maintenance of polit-
ical, economic and social independ-
ence of all nations" There is ample
authority under that one principle
of our foreign policy for the sale
of planes to France. We sympathize
Fundamentally with Frances efforts
under adverse circumstances to
maintain her political, economic and
social independence, and by peaceful
means of a friendly trade gesture
involving aircraft for her defense
we are but practicing what we
preach. There is nothing inconsistent
about all this except, perhaps, in the
minds of inveterate isolationists.
Opponents to the administrations
course in connection with the estab-
lished crisis in Europe-a crisis in
which the interests of the United
States are unquestionably inter-
twined-denounce what they claim
to be a secret and dangerous New
Deal in American foreign relations
Yet on the occasion of his address
to Congress at the opening OF the
current session, the President ad-
vised that body and the American
people of conditions and his proposed
course. He spoke Of these new threats
in the world which menace our
democratic institutions. He warned
that we could not hope to find Sc
curity in a policy of isolation. He
stated that we must avoid "any &C
ton, or lack of action (the italics are
ours), which will encourage or assist
or build up an AGGRESSION" He indi-
Gated his belief that legislated neu-
trality can be, and has been, unfair
to the victim of aggression.
It went without saying then, and
1t should, in the light of the current
circumstances, still 60 without say
ing, that methods short Of war, but
stronger and more effective than
mere words, of bringing home to
aggressor governments the aggre-
gate sentiments of our people" do
not involve the abandonment of
those long standing and basic Amer
lean principles reiterated by the
President on Friday.
It would have been better, in The
Stars opinion, If the President had
made all this incontrovertibly clear
at Fridays conference. For If, as
news reports indicate, the totah-
tartan powers and even certain
critics in this country, choose to
read into the Presidents latest state
ment an ignominious reversal Of
those steps which the administration