Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-24
TrucuIent
Policy Used
|ByT. r.
Administrations
System Is Traced to
First Roosevelt
BY JAY FRANKLIN.

the headlines with demands for
more aid to Britain and speed-up
in the defense program, many of
his fellow Republicans are going
around the country telling the peo-
pie that President Roosevelt, who
originated both of these policies, is
sure to bring us into the war. This
line of political double-talk is being
used to the full in the Midwestern
States, with their large blocs of
German-American voters and their
traditional detachment from foreign
affairs.
The thing has been reduced to a
syllogism by the Republican Ma
tional Committee, whose journals
tic battle pages feature the state
ments: Roosevelt plus third terri
equals war" and "Willkie plus ma
tional defense equals peace"
After 1916, the American cleo
torate can well be alarmed at
candidate who promises to keep Us
out of war" in a warning world
Wilson tried and failed. The states
men Of Finland, Norway and Den
mark tried to keep out of this war
and failed. The leaders of Holland
and Belgium refused to line up with
the Anglo-French Allies because of
the traditional neutrality Of the Low
Countries-and failed to keep out
Of war. 1t takes only one-the ag-
greSsor-to start a war and nobody
is in the position to guarantee that
the axis will refrain from doing
those things which will drive Amer
lea to fight. And no statesman can
assume that public opinion will not
force him-as in l898-to fight any
how.
ct. R." Talked Big.
The origin Of the Roosevelt policy
was Teddy Roosevelt The great
T. r. was considered a dangerous
alarmist and Warmonger in his day
/ He threatened Germany over the
Venezuela dispute. He egged on the
japanese against the Russians and
then, when the Japenese got uppity,
sent the United States Fleet around
the world as an object lesson. He
took" Panama. He got us mixed
up in Europe at the Algerian Con-
ference. He talked big and he did
not carry a very big stick and he
walked far from softly. Teddy
Roosevelt never spoke a non-trucu-
lent word in his foreign relations.
but he knew what he was doing and
what he was saying The Roose-
welt policy, in fact, led not to war,
but preserved the peace.
Franklin D. Roosevelt also knows
what he is saying and doing in his
foreign policy and he knows that
| the only possible chance of keeping
America out of the war is by max
ing America strong strong in
armament. especially naval and air
craft-and by helping the resistance
OF those nations, Britain and China,
which are engaging OUR potential
enemies. Thanks to the recent
triple alliance, we know what We
had always realized-that our
potential enemies today are Ger
many, Italy and Japan. For this
reason we are aiding England and
China by measures short of war"
measures far short Of what the
axis nations themselves took in
Spain under the famous "non-in-
tervention agreement" measures
far less aggressive than those en-
ployed by Japan in the China in
cident."
Franklin Roosevelt's policy also
has what Teddy Roosevelts policy
conspicuously lacked-the good will
and confidence of the Latin Ameri-
can nations. carefully fostered
through the good neighbor" policy,
and possession of air and naval
bases on the British islands which
cover our Atlantic Seaboard and
the Caribbean.
Protects U. S. Position.
This policy-or group of policies
is the only assurance we can have
that it will be possible for America
to mediate, peacefully, for an end
to this war. If Great Britain and
free China 60 down before their
enemies. we shall be strong and
formidable enough to hold the
North Atlantic long enough to
mobilize our full economic energies
for defense of the New World If the
axis powers and Japan are held in
check by Great Britain and free
China. then our strength and
economic support will tilt the scales
in this war of economic exhaus-
/ ton. We shall thus hold the balance
of power and be able to promote
peace without risk of war as great
as that which we undeniably would
face if the axis were to win.
This, as I understand it. is the
Roosevelt policy. He warned us,
just as Churchill warned the people
of England, that danger was COM
ing. He is giving support to those
who are resisting that danger. He
is helping America to rearm. at the
same time, so as to make it quite
sure that we shall not risk becoming
another Czecho-Slovakia, another
Poland, another Norway, another
Denmark, another Holland, another
Belgium. He is fighting the ap-
peasers-the men who say Peace!
Peace!" when there is no peace
and the ultra conservatives, so that
America shall not become another
France, conquered from within. or
| even another Germany. trading
liberty for security and democracy
for dictatorship. His policy does
not guarantee peace-no policy of
ours could do so-but it is the only
policy which offers reasonable pro-
lection against the very real danger
| of an undesired war-a war forced
on us as Italy forced war on
Abyssinia, as Japan forced war on
China, as Russia forced war on
Finland, and as Hitler forced wal
on Poland, on Europe and on the
| world.
DEAL FnDcV