Evening star., 1940-06-19
The Republican Platform

In drafting foreign policy plank
this year, the Republican party faces,
most important responsibility. It's
task calls for vision and understand
ing; for an unselfishness that subor-
dinates partisan ambition to the
national welfare This is not
intended to imply that the Republi-
cans necessarily should subscribe in
full to the foreign policy of the pres
ent administration, although The
Star, on the whole, has supported
and continues to support that policy.
II the Republican platform makers
hold contrary view it is their priv
ilege and their duty, to express it
provided that they deal in facts and
not In fancy and meaningless gen.
eralities. There is every indication
that the next four years will be the
most critical that this republic has
known, and no political party should
expect public support unless it has
taken a clear, realistic and definite
stand on the momentous issue of our
foreign relations.
DR.. Glenn Frank, chairman of the
Republican Program Committee, said
at Philadelphia yesterday that the
Presidents stab in the back" refer
ence to Mussolinis entry into the
European conflict was IAN informal
declaration of war" No President, he
added, has a moral right to commit
this country to a course leading
toward war without any consulta-
tion with Congress.
Those are anything but exact
statements. 1t may be granted that
the expression used by Mr.. Roosevelt
at Charlottesville was emotional
even indiscreet-in character, but is
1t accurate or fair to call it an in
formal declaration of war? What
does DR.. Frank mean when he speaks
OF an informal declaration of war?
The term, of course, has no real
meaning; it is merely another figure
OF speech which tends to shake pub
lie confidence in the administration
by implying that the President,
through an impulsive statement
which was essentially true, sought
to push this country closer to war.
What Of the second statement
the intimation that the President,
without consulting Congress, is try
ing to commit this country to a
course leading toward war? Is that
justified by the facts?
There is nothing mysterious about
Mr.. Roosevelt's attitude toward this
war. He believes that the vital inter-
ests of the United States would be
put in jeopardy by German victory
accompanied by a destruction of
British sea power. Therefore, after
consulting with Congress and obtain
Ing its approval, he has sought to
strengthen Britain and France by
supplying them with all of the mill
tary equipment that we can spare.
Does DR.. Frank disapprove of that
policy? Seemingly not, for he indi-
Gates that he favors supplying the
| Allies with the utmost material aid
| within the realm of international
commerce"-whatever that qualifi-
cation may mean. Why, then, if he
approves of giving utmost material
aid to the Allies, does DR.. Frank
imply that the President, by doing
that very thing, has been commit
ing this country to course lead
ing toward war without consulting
Congress?
The Republican foreign policy
plank, when it is finally drafted,
should be straightforward docu-
ment. 1t will mean nothing if it
merely expresses sympathy for the
Allies, opposes what DR.. Frank calls
blind isolationism" and urges that
America should stay out of the war.
If the platform undertakes to dis
sent from our present foreign policy,
the pubic Will nave right to know
and will demand to be told in what
respects our present policy is deemed
to be bad, what phases should be
discarded or changed and precisely
what the Republicans have to offer
in lieu thereof.
America is awakening to the true
menace of totalitarianism, and it
will not be enough for the G. o. P.
merely to denounce the manner in
which the present administration
has conducted our foreign affairs
while holding forth a Republican
platform which may mean anything
Or nothing.