Evening star., 1940-12-31

allowed to board the clipper. The
German envoy was told that If he
did 60 aboard, the British would
take him off at Bermuda. Even a
cable from the American Consul at
Lisbon asking the State Depart
ment to demand passage for Hertzlet
failed to produce results, Mr.. Mar
shall said,
Had the peace conference" been
called. said Mr.. Marshall, HertZlet
Immediately would have been named
Ambassador to the United States.
Assistant Secretary OF State Berle
was represented in Mr.. Marshall's s
narrative as angry because Mr.. Davis
would not leave the original docu-
ment. but the oil man refused to give
it to any one but the President,
whom he did not see.
Only Poland Had Been Bombed.
Mr.. Marshall emphasized that at
the time of the Davis episode only
Poland had been bombed" and
France and Germany were facing
each other across the Maginot and
Siegfried lines like a couple of Sum-
| day school classes
Asked if Mr.. Davis had any asSur-
ance England and France would take
part in such peace conference, Mr..
Marshall said Mr.. Davis had not
made contact with either govern
ment.
Mr.. Marshall added that he was
convinced both countries would have
accepted and still would go eagerly ;
| into any conference which the
/ United States might initiate.
President Roosevelt knew what
Mr. Davis went to Europe for in
1889, Mr.. Marshall said.
! The Iowa publisher indicated he
still thought peace could be negotiat-
ed along the lines proposed then.
Asked whether he thought Hitler
would keep his word and carry out
the terms of any pact, in view of the
Feuhrer's disregard of other treaties
and obligations, Mr.. Marshall said
he thought if such a plan were ac-
cepted. Hitler would.
Mr. Marshall denied that the war
was fight for democracy, declaring
it was based on the same economic
issues which had embroiled Europe
for centuries He added:
I want whichever side can dictate
a sound economic peace to win"
Asked if he thought the so-called
Davis peace terms were sound" Mr..
| Marshall said he did. but added:
IF the British can dictate sound
terms, I'm for them-I don't care"
The only purpose OF the No For
eign War Committee, organized re-
Gently, he said, is Ito keep the United
States from being sucked into this
economic war and from giving away
its defense"
Reverting to the Davis trip, Mr.
Marshall said: I'VE were supposed
to be neutral then-we were not.
We are supposed to be neutral now
we are not"
Remember" he told the large
group of reporters gathered at the
National Press Club, I've seen war.
In February, 1916, I was driving an
ambulance in the French Army be-
fore Dead Mans Hill. Men died in
my arms. I saw. not hundreds Of
dead, but thousands. I enlisted be-
cause I thought it was war to
preserve democracy. Later. when
we went in the Army. 1 could have
had a commission and worn out a
pair of spurs on desk in Washing
ton, but I enlisted again as buck
private"
He added that he had six children
and did not want to see this country
in another war.
Paper Underworld 100000.
Asked how the committee was
being financed, Mr.. Marshall said
his newspaper, the Cedar Rapids
Gazette, had underwritten 500 900.
but he expected to be reimbursed,
because money was pouring in, with
contributions ranging from a dime
to $4,000.
He named as co-organizers of the
No Foreign War Committee and
| financial hackers, George Eggleston
and Douglas Stewart, both connected
with Scribners's Commentator.
monthly magazine. Both, he said.
were "vitally interested in keeping
this country out of war"
Mr. Davis. whom Mr.. Marshall de-
scribed as the largest independent
oil operator in the world, has offered
to underwrite the expenses OF the
committee, the Iowan said.
ANY one" added the stocky, fiery
publisher, "who says either Mr..
Davis or myself is Nazi agent. pro-
Nazi or an appeaser or anything
else but 100 per cent American Is
a liar"
Mr.. Davis said Col. Charles A.
Lindbergh attended a dinner at
which some such organization was
discussed, but had warned him re-
peatedly not to let his name appear
in support of the committee.
It said to Lindbergh,'' Mr.. Mar
shall added, that the sooner you
walk up Fifth avenue as an execu-
tive of oul committee, the happier
I'll be-
Mr.. Marshall said he lunched at
the Capitol yesterday with group
that included five Senators. He re-
fused to name those present, except
to mention Senator Clark, Democrat,
of Missouri, a leading non-interven-
tiOnlst
During the press conference Mr..
Marshall's attractive wife sat beside
him on a sofa in a corner of the
club lounge and occasionally he
turned to her for prompting on some
detail.