Evening star., 1940-02-27


is typical of diplomacy's method of
finding out If possible just what a
new envoy has in mind before he
comes before the head of a govern
ment. 1t may be safely answered
that Mr.. Welles did not disclose the
full nature of his mission on the
occasion of his visit to the foreign
minister or to Premier Mussolini,
but preferred to indicate the genuine
interest of President Roosevelt in a
broad-gauged way in what is the
true status of peace prospects.
The reference in the press dis
patches to the signed document
which Mr.. Welles presented to Sig
nor Mussolini is taken here to be
the transmission of the credentials
of the Undersecretary of State,
which, on the occasion of a special
mission of this kind, are different
from those normally presented by
an American Ambassador accredited
to government.
Likely One for Hitler, Too.
When Mr.. Welles sees Herr Hitler,
the probabilities are that message
containing credentials will likewise
be transmitted. There is every
reason to believe that these messages
are the usual exchange of formali-
ties and do not go into the merits
of the mission itself.
The fact that Mr.. Welles has tar
ried so little in Rome before hurry
ing on to see Herr Hitler is in line
with opinions expressed here before
departure, namely, that the most
important immediate purpose of the
mission is to discover exactly how
far the present German govern
ment is willing to go toward meet
ing the viewpoint Of Great Britain
and France. The semi official an
nouncement from Paris that no
peace can be considered at this time
is largely for home consumption
Neither the British nor French peo-
piles could be permitted in the midst
of war to believe that the govern
ments were seriously considering
termination of hostilities. It might
mean slowing down of effort or
a relaxation of vigilance. Wartime
morale has to be kept at top pitch.
l. is significant that in the die
tatprship countries the situation is
handled by not permitting anything
to be printed at all about Mr.. Welles'
visit except routine announce
ment. The true significance of the
mission has been kept from the
German people, as well as from the
Italian populace. Democracies are
compelled, therefore, under the cir
cunstances, to anticipate by semi
Official announcements the conclu-
sioas or differences being drawn by
free press with reference to the
Welles mission.
Third Term Factor Bobs Up.
The Characterization in some
French newspapers of the Welles
mission as somehow connected with
the third-term riddle in the United
States is shared in many quarters
here, the belief being more and more
emphasized by New Dealers, with
whom the wish is father to the
thought, that the foreign situation,
especially as it relates to peace, is
becoming so complicated now that,
of course, third-term discussion
must take secondary position.
The effort here is to play up the
foreign as contrasted with the do
mestic situation on the theory that
the country will welcome con-
structive effort for peace. In a sense
this may cause the administration
here to become a bit more aggressive
In the cause of an early termination
Of the war than the British and
French may like, and it is precisely
because they see the third-term So
luton as somehow linked up with q
successful peace maneuver at this
time that British and French OBJ
servers have grown a bit appre-
hensive.
The inuence of the United States,
If exerted on the side of a German
pressure for an early peace, can be
embarrassing to the allies, but it is
premature for such unhappy con-
clusions to be drawn by British and
French statesmen. In the very
nature of things, the United States
Government is merely engaged at
the moment, through Mr.. Welles, in
q mission Of exploration, and it
may be set down as foregone con-
clusion that the American Govern
ment is not going to become involved
in European intrigue. Rather is the
United States Government going to
attempt to End a common basis for
peace-an honorable peace for all
with full opportunity for the British
and French viewpoint to be ex-
pressed to Mr.. Welles when he ar
rives in London after he has seen
Herr Hitler and Field Marshal
Goering.
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