Evening star., 1939-07-15

American boys
will not again be
risked overseas. David Lawrence.
The Senate Foreign Relations
Committee members who are block
ing legislation think that their
course also will prevent American
involvement
How will the American people de-
eide the issue? Only after a full
debate of the facts. The Presidents
message. transmitting the state
ment of Secretary Hull, is first
step in that direction. It is a docu-
ment of such an illuminating ma
ture that Representative Wadsworth,
Republican, of New York, former
chairman Of the Senate Military At
fairs Committee, expressed agree
ment with its general purposes.
Mr. Wadsworth thinks the reten-
ton IN the present law of an en-
barge on arms is wrong and he
agrees with Mr.. Hull that there
should be repeal.
Conversely, there are Democrats
who disagree with the admins
tration. Some partisanship exists
here and there, but the division
Is not along party lines. 1t is be-
tween the so-called isolationist
group, who feel that America should
by legislation say now 1t will not
supply arms to anybody, and those
who feel that it is hypocritical for
the United States to agree to sell
the raw materials out of which
explosives are made and refuse to
sell the explosives.
AS matter of fact Secretary
Hull's program goes farther than
President Wilson was willing to go
in the so-called neutrality period
prior to 1917, and meets almost
entirely the point of view of those
who think travel by American citi-
zens on American ships embroiled
us in the last war.
Points at Issue.
The President and Mr.. Hull want
to prohibit American ships and
American citizens from entering
combat areas. They want title to
goods shipped to belligerent coun-
tries to pass to foreign purchasers
SO losses at sea will be at the risk
of the foreigners. They want to
continue existing legislation with
respect to loans and credits to bel
ligerent countries, and to maintain
the existing licensing system for
the export of arms and ammuni-
ton in times of war.
Every one of these points seems to
be acceptable to the ''isolationist"
group except the right to sell arms
and ammunition during a war. The
President and the Secretary of State
say that to refuse to sell munitions
is taking sides by making 1t possible
for strong countries with manufac-
turing plants to bully the weak ones.
America, it is asserted, should hold
the scales even by permitting all to
come and buy who have the cash
to pay.
What it resolves itself down to is
a point of view unfavorable to the
allied democracies and favorable to
the Nazi and Fascist regime. For
the British and French with their
naval superiority could come and
get arms whilst the Germans and
Italians could not. To argue that
the isolationists are not taking sides
or that the administration isn't
doing the same thing Is to ignore
the realities.
Confronted With Precedent.
Unquestionably, the Department
Of State feels that whatever moral
influence or potential weight the
United States has should be on the
side Of democracy, but it is not
necessary to make such an argu-
ment because the custom of selling
war supplies during war time to all
comers Is buttressed by the prac-
tice of international law for gen.
erations past. AS for the isolation
lists, they are confronted with the
precedent that the pro-German ele-
ments started the embargo idea be-
tween 1914 and 1917 for the ex-
press purpose of helping Germany
fight Britain and France by cut
ting off their supplies.
The isolationists insist they have
no sympathy with the Nazis and
FasclstS and their contention in
this respect is sincere.
Who is right? Unhappily, history
will repeat itself and the American
people will take a position again in
1889 as they did back in 1915 and
1916 as between the European
groups. Those elements in our
electorate who want France and
Britain and our northern neighbor,
Canada, protected against a cur
tailment Of the supply of arms and
ammunition in war time, when thev
are fighting for their very existence.
will want to see the embargo on
arms repealed, and those who think
Britain and France should be COM
PEELED to fight the war without any
arms bought in the United States,
even though they are defeated by
that action, will insist on the re-
tention of the present arms en-
barge. The President and Secre-
tary of State have begun a nation
wide fight for their point of view
which will not end with the mes
sage just sent by the Executive to
Congress.