Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-18

cause the British Fleet has for
years controlled the Atlantic.
leaving us free to concentrate in
the Pacific. If the British Fleet
were lost or captured, the At
lantic might be dominated by
Germany, a power hostile to our
way of life, controlling in that
event most of the ships and ship
building facilities of Europe.
Must Rebuild a World That
Moves in Democratic Way.
This would be calmity for us.
We might be exposed to attack
on the Atlantic. Our defense
would be weakened until We
could build a Navy and air force
strong enough to defend both
coasts. Also. our foreign trade
would be profoundly affected.
That trade is vital TO our pros
perity. But If we had to trade
with a Europe dominated by the
present German trade policies,
we might have to change our
methods to some totalitarian
form. This is a prospect that any
lover of democracy must view
with CONSERVATION.
The objective of America is in
the opposite direction. We must.
in the long run, rebuild a world
in which we can live and move
and do business in the demo-
cratic way.
The President of the United
States recently said: I'VE will
extend to the opponents of force
the material resources of this
Nation, and at the same time we
will harness the use Of those re-
sources in order that We ourselves,
in the Americas. may have equip
ment and training equal to the
task of any emergency and every
defense
I should like to state that I
am in agreement with these two
principles, as I understand them
and I don't understand them as
implying military involvement in
the present hostilities. AS an
American citizen I am glad to
pledge my wholehearted support
to the President in whatever &C
ton he may take in accordance
with these principles.
President Courts a War for
Which, U. S. is Unprepared.
But I cannot follow the Presi-
dent in his conduct of foreign
affairs in this critical time. There
have been occasions when many
of us have wondered if he Is de-
liberately melting us to war. I
trust that I have made 1t plain
that in the defense Of America.
and of our liberties, I should not
hesitate to stand for war. But
like a great many other Ameri-
cans, I saw what war was like
at first hand in 1917. I know
what war can do to demoralize
civil liberties at home. And I be-
ieve it to be the first duty of a
President to try to maintain
peace.
But Mr.. Roosevelt has not
done this. He has dabbled in
inflammatory statements and
manufactured panics. OF course,
We in America like to speak our
minds freely, but this does not
mean that at a critical period in
history our President should
cause bitterness and confusion
for the sake of a little political
oratory. The Presidents attacks
on foreign powers have been
useless and dangerous. He has
courted a war for which the
country is hopelessly unpre-
pared-and which it emphat-
ically does not want. He has
secretly meddled in the affairs
of Europe and he has even I'M
scrupulously encouraged other
countries to hope for more help
than we are able to give.
Walk softly and carry a big
stick" was the motto of Theo-
dore Roosevelt. 1t is still good
American doctrine for 1910.
Under the present administra-
ton the country has been placed
in the false position Of shouting
insults and not even beginning
to prepare to take the conse-
quenceS.
But while he has thus been
quick to tell other nations what
they ought to do, Mr.. Roosevelt
has been slow to take the Amer
lean people into his confidence.
He has hesitated to report facts,
to explain situations or to de-
fine realistic detectives. The con-
fusion in the Nations mind has
been largely due to this lack of
information from the White
House.
Would Threaten Only
When Ready to Act.
AS President, I plan to reverse
both of these policies. should
threaten foreign governments
only when our country was
threatened by, them and when I
was ready to act; and I should