Evening star., 1940-10-28

4Ou44O GllCl Gill d baNio LaNiehce.
phrase or two about his promise to
answer "falsifications" So far, the
President has built up a record of
words which not only can make it
seem to him consistent to lead
America into the war but to do so
without asking the consent of Con-
gress. Here is that record:
The Democratic national platform
pledge adopted last July and re-
peated word for word in the Presi-
dents speech at Philadelphia last
week says: 1--WE will not participate
in foreign wars and we will not send
our Army, naval or aerial forces to
fight in foreign lands outside Of the
Americas except in case of attack"
Stated affrmatively, this pledge
declares that "in case of attack" Mr..
Roosevelt would send our Army,
naval or aerial forces Ito fight in
foreign lands outside of the Amer
icas" which, If one looks at the map,
can only mean European, Asiatic
and African territory.
Phrase Is Defined.
What then is meant by the words
"expect in case of attack" Here
Is a phrase that may prove Of his
toric consequence. The definition
given by Mr. Roosevelt himself last
May l6 in a formal message to both
Houses of Congress offers a simple
explanation. Here are the Presi-
dents own words:
"A defense which allows an enemy
to consolidate his approach without
hindrance will lose. A defense which
makes no effective effort to destroy
the lines Of supplies and communi-
cations of the enemy will lose.
"An effective defense by its very
nature requires the equipment to
attack an aggressor on his route
before he can establish strong bases
within the territory of American
vital interests"
Applying the foregoing definition
as readiness TO attack an aggressor
on his route" the President can in
terpret at any moment the moves
of Hitler in West Africa or in the
Martinique region or in the vicinity
of any South American country as
attack and insist that the United
States Navy and air forces must go
overseas to the English Channel to
attack the enemys lines of supplies
and communications" He can con-
strue japanese move in the Dutch
East Indies as an attack" on our
vital interests.
Under the Constitution, few peo-
PIE realize that the President, as
commander in chief, has the power
without consulting Congress to use
the armed forces of the United
States to "repel invasion" Attorney
General Jackson would not be hard
put to it to find legal justification
for invasion" in the very language
of the Presidents message to Con-
gress of May Is about attacking
IAN aggressor on his route"
Voters Assume Responsibility.
Our forefathers wisely felt that
the power ito repel invasion" should
be given without need of summoning
Congress because in an emergency
such power might really have to be
employed instantly, but the Amer
lean people have never before been
confronted with such a definition
of invasion or attack as was pro-
claimed in the May Is speech nor
have they ever before seen the
Chief Executive of the Government
of the United States actually in the
middle of war transfer war vessels
to a belligerent government without
asking either before or afterward
the ratification by both Houses of
Congress.
The millions of voters who say
they are going to disregard the
third-term issue because they be-
heve the foreign situation" is more
important will be assuming the re-
sponsibility on November 5 to their