Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-12-23
Significant Reaction

BerllnS reaction to the suggestion
by Ronald Cross, British Shipping
Minister, that this Government might
make available to England a number
of German and Italian vessels now
in American ports has a significance
which should not be overlooked.
Commenting on the Cross state
ment, an unnamed Nazi spokesman
says in effect that Hitler reserves the
right to treat such a transfer as an
act of war on our part, and this warm
ing is accompanied by a specific de-
nunciation of our foreign policy of
'pinpricks, injury, insult, challenge
and moral aggression"
In all of this, it may be assumed
that there is more bark than bite.
Adolf Hitler. as his record shows, is
a realist. He does not fight wars
because of insult, real or fancied.
His military campaigns are aimed at
some tangible material objective, and
not at the rebuffing of pinpricks or
moral aggression.
There has been no official indica-
ton that this Government intends
to transfer the two German and
twenty-seven Italian merchant YES
sells in American waters to Great
Britain. But even if the transfer
should be made, there is little reason
to suppose that such move-of it
self-would be treated as an act of
war by the Nazis. From a military
standpoint, it would have far less
effect than the recent transfer of
fifty American destroyers to Britain,
and if Berlin did not see At to con-
slider that as a warlike act, it does
not seem probable that more serious
view would be taken of the transfer
of Twenty-Five merchant ships, even
though these vessels are German or
Italian property.
Under international law there are
authorities for and against the right
of neutral to requisition ships of
belligerent. Italy, while still at
peace. seized a number of German
ships during the first World War and
Berlin did not treat that as a hostile
act, primarily because the Germans
hoped at that time to win Italy to
their side. On the other hand, when
Portugal also seized German mer-
chantmen, Berlin promptly declared
war.
The essentials Of the question are
the same today as in 1915. What the
Nazis are really concerned about is
the ultimate effect of our aid to
Britain. The immediate matter of
the merchant ship transfer is a very
minor phase of the broader picture
and is hardly cause of war in and of
itself. But as definite forward step
toward an ever-increasing volume
of American aid to Britain, it might
have great psychological Importance
and it may be supposed that this is
the real reason for the strong Ian
guage emanating from Berlin.
We must recognize the fact that
the Germans will exert every effort
to prevent our assistance to Britain
from assuming decisive proportions If
that can be accomplished by threats,
then the threats will be made. If
our hands can be tied only by mill
tary measures, then we must assume
that Berlin will not hesitate to wage
war against this country. It is time
that we stopped talking of aiding the
British by methods short of war"
and faced the fact that the Nazis,
and not this Government, in all prob
ability will determine what is and
what is not meant by the term short
of war" It will be better for us in
the long run if we decide the present
question of the merchant vessels,
and If we make all future decisions,
on that basis.