Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-11
Kennedy Says Entry
In War Might End
Democracy u. 5.
Urges All Possible Aid
To England to Give
Us Time to Prepare
BY LOUIS M. LYONS.

BY LOUIS M. LYONS.
BOSTON, Nov. II NA.NA).-
Joseph P. Kennedy, Ambassador to
England, was sitting in his shirt
sleeves eating apple pie and Amer
lean cheese in his room at the Ritz
Carlton. His suspenders hung
around his hips.
1t was the setting for an inter-
view that every American reporter
has known thousand times.
A journalistic colleague from st.
Louis who shared the interview
Ralph Coglan. editor of the St.
Louis PoSt-Dispatch-liked Joe Ken
nedy from the first look at him.
I'm willing to spend all I've got
left to keep us out of the war"
Kennedy flashed toward the end
Of his talk.
There's no sense in our getting
in. We'd just be holding the bag"
He's been amazed at how little
SO it seems to him-Congress men,
bers who've visited with him SO far
understand the war and Americas
relation to it.
Explains Role.
II know more about the European
situation than anybody else, and
it's up to me to see that the country
gets it, he says in explanation of
the role of carrying the torch that
has has cut out for himself.
Mr. Coglan asks what he thinks
are the chances of our keeping out.
Better than they were three
months ago." Mr.. Kennedy said.
After declaring that England's
shipping losses are greater now
than in the World War. Ambassa-
dor Kennedy continued
People call me pessimist. I
say, What is there to be gay about?
Democracy is all done"
you mean in England or this
country, 100!
We'll, I don't know. If we get
into war 1t will be in this coun-
try, too. A bureaucracy would take
over right off. Everything we hold
dear would be gone. They tell me
| that after 1918 we got it all back
again. But this is different. There's
a different pattern in the world"
What about British democracy"
he was asked. rs there real op-
portunity there or does the aristoc-
racy keep a rigid class structure
that keeps the common man DOWN."
British Democracy.
When there's a. strong upSurge
from beneath you can't stop it," Mr.
Kennedy replied. You can't blame
the aristocracy for keeping it down
! II it doesn't come up"
We'll what does it mean to have
labor men now at the center of gov
ernment?" I asked.
1T means National Socialism is
coming out of it, Mr. Kennedy said
fatty.
Democracy is finished in Eng
land. 1t may be here, because ii
comes to question of feeding peo-
pie. It's all an economic question
I told the President in the White
House last Sunday, Don't send me
30 admirals and generals. Send me
q dozen real economists
Next Six Months Vital.
TITS all question of what We dc
with the next six months. The whole
reason for aiding England is to give
us time. Whatever we give England
We shouldn't think of getting it back
It's insurance. We can pull the
teeth OF the William Allen White
Committee and of the anti-English
groups, too, by just not arguing al
I all. We can just accept whatever
they say, and our answer is, It's just
one question. self representation for
us England is doing everything We
could ask. AS long as she is in there
we have time to prepare. 1t isn't
that she's fighting for democracy
That the bunk. Shes fighting foI
self-preservation, just as we will ii
it comes to us.
Il don't draw any line on how
much aid. 1t is practical question
Of judgment, how much to send. II
Is a question of how long England
can hold out. If she collapses soon
they stop.
IF We went in we'd just be holding
the bag. I tell everybody. Don't
expect to get the World War debts
paid. Well never get that back
But we must see that they don't vino
up this time holding all our securities
and we with long debt. Well take
| it from them while they can pay fol
what they need But when they gel
through, give it to them, mark it off
as insurance
He wouldn't venture judgment
on how the war was coming out. But
he felt the months just ahead would
tell.
Won't Risk Predicting Winner.
Then what about Canada if the
worst comes to England?"
well, we're sucked in on that, and
the Monroe Doctrine and all.
The thing is, what we do with
the next six months. 1t would be
fatal to let it 60 by without making
the most of every working day fol-
defense We aren't doing the max