Evening star., 1939-09-12

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where the belligerents are two or
three and the neutrals are many
score? Can our neutrality be the
same when there are two distinct
wars being carried on, one in Asia
and one in Europe, as 1t Is wheE
there is one world war? When the
lineup of belligerents and neutrals
is constantly changing, as it prob
ably will, can our Neutrality Act
remain static while everything it af-
fects or is affected by it is in a
state of flux? These are the types
of questions which should make us
thoughtful about the conditions fac
ing us under the present circum-
stances.
History Can Teach Avoidance.
Due to the fact that there has
been since 1885 much discussion
about the Neutrality Acts and our
remaining out of war as result of
them, persons have become con-
fused With a major war in Eu-
rope we would have been operating
as we are today as a result of a
neutrality proclamation even If
there were no 1887 Neutrality Act
on the statute books. We have the
status of neutral as the result of
the existence of the law of ma
tions, and the Presidents procla-
nations are in accordance with
long-standing precedents and such
acts as those of 1909, 1917 and 1887.
If the people of the United States
wish to remain neutral. they can
do so as long as they wish. Amer
lea remained neutral from August,
1914, to April, 1917, nearly three
years, during the World War. II
our ultimate entrance into the
World War was mistake, as many
today insist, we should study our
history from 1914 to 1917 and avoid
the mistakes that led us into the war.
History viewed effectively will
contribute greatly to an apprecia-
ton of the problems which will
face our Nation now as a neutral.
1t is our nature to wiSecrack. Our
language and our life invite it. We
say 1.-The Constitution is what the
judges say it is" and that history
is what the historians say it is.'
Both statements are pretty. They
can be acceptably used to cover
vast ignorance even though they
were originally uttered by the most
learned. Any one who wants to I'M
derstand our Governments neutral
problems today should study the
history of 19l4-15-16 and II. Objec-
tive study will show that we can
remain neutral, maintain our neu-
trail rights, live up to our neutral
| duties if we have a mind to. Study,
too, will show that America is more
united in opinion today than she
was in 1914, but President Wilson's
neutrality proclamation received
the same whole hearted support
from all our citizens in August,
1914, as President Roosevelt's did
today. Even ex-President Theodore
Roosevelt, who later so strongly
took sides and urged in the strong
est terms that America should enter
the war on the side of England and
France, wrote during the first weeks
of the war, "Of course it would be
folly to jump into the gulf our
selves, and to no good purpose, and
very probably nothing that we
could have done would have helped
Belgium. We have not the smallest
responsibility for what has befallen
her Outlook - September %,
1914.)
Let us review the first days of
the 1914 World War and our neu-
trality then. We will find much
that is the same; still we will see
a great difference. Then we as
sumed a European war was, after
all, not of our concern. Today we
may assert that but we know it Is
hardly true. The real truth in each
case is and was that war anywhere
is of universal conce.n. Peace, too,
must be of universal concern. Re-
gardless of what any one may think
or hope, the world is unit in more
ways than in its purely physical
one.
Today no one expects any one to
be neutral in mind and thought.
One Nationwide poll on who is re-
sponsible for the present war shows
that 80 per cent of our people hold
one side responsible That does not
give great promise for impartiality
What Wilson Urged.
In 1914, President Wilson. two
weeks after issuing his neutrality
proclamation, said: The United
States must be neutral in fact as
well as in name during these days
that are trying mems souls. We
must be impartial in thought as
we'll as in action, must put curb
upon our sentiments as well as upon
every transaction that might be
construed as a preference of one
party to the struggle above another
My thought is of America-a Ma
ton that neither sits in judgment
upon others nor is disturbed in her
own councils, and which keeps her
self fit and free to do what is hon.
est and disinterested and truly
serviceable for the peace Of the
world"
But proclamations and speeches
do not alter facts. They are pow
erless when it comes to changing
mems opinions. The people of our
country were not impartial in
thought" Still they remained "neu-
tral in fact" as far as actions were
concerned for nearly three years.
They stood on their rights and they
condemned the wrong-doer. And
while standing as neutral their
condemnation of wrong did not
take them into war. Had 1t done
so we would have fought on both
sides.
American neutrality has not been
an unchanging thing from Wash
ington's first neutrality proclama-
ton to the present. 1t has grown
and developed or it has become weak
and supine, according to the en-
phasis. Sometimes neutral rights
have been stressed. at other times
neutral duties. There is an ocean