Evening star., 1940-04-15

standpoint OF that considerable
minority of Americans who deplore
the United States "disinterested by
stander" attitude, even the Roose-
welt administration moral SYM
pathy with the struggling democra-
cies leaves something to be desired.
The plight of Denmark and Nor
way, for example, finds off1cialdom
concerned exclusively with rescuing
5000 or 1000 Americans resident in
Scandinavia, though the Presidents
platonic denunciation Of the latest
Nazi aggression keeps the record
straight. Meantime the unrealistic
view persists that Uncle Sam should
conserve his energies for the peace
conference, as if either Germany
or the allies would allow us to help
dictate the peace as long as we re-
fused to lift a finger to bring It
about. If Europe's war is none OF
our business" is it logical to con-
slider that Europe's peace is any of
our business?
Divided Sentiment.
Since this column on April 5-four
days before the Nazi invasion of
Denmark and Norway-ventured to
suggest the hour was at hand for
this country to take serious stock
of the war situation, there has been
noteworthy response to that sugges-
ton. Bouquets and brickbats have
arrived in about equal proportion,
rejecting what undoubtedly is the
Nations many-angled state of mind.
1t is a state of confusion and di-
vision which clamors for construc-
tive leadership. 1t transcends party
lines. On the same day last week,
for example, Democrat Col. Henry
Breckenridge, Col. Lindbergh's close
friend and personal counsel, who
was Assistant Secretary of War
under Woodrow Wilson, Wed pub
licly with Republican Nicholas
Roosevelt, vice governor OF the
Philippines and Minister to Hun
gary, under Herbert Hoover, in ex-
pressions of bitter anti-Nazi feeling
Lawyer Breckenridge would have
the United States declare war on
Germany instantly, if Hitler's ma
rauding legions set foot on Iceland
or Greenland. Author Roosevelt de-
clared I'VE can no longer sit by in
SNUG isolation and say the wars
outcome does not concern us-that
it makes no difference whether Ger
many or the allies win" 1t con-
Germs, in fact, he added, "our souls
and our skins-our souls, because
the very principles of the civilization
we hold dear are being destroyed
before our eyes, and our skins,
because if Germany is victorious,
We shall face new world in which
We will be the Nazis public enemy
No. L.
Politics "Ueber Allies"
That both President Roosevelt
and Secretary Hull personally are
passionately anti-Nazi. despite re-
quired official neutrality, is every
bodys secret. But either of them
may be the Democratic nominee for
the presidency in November; If he
chooses to run he will wish to be
elected. AS seasoned politicians,
each knows it would be suicidal
openly to take any position that
goes beyond our cash-and-carry
readiness to stop Hitler. One won-
ders what the Judgment of his
tory is going to be on the contribu-
ton of the worlds most powerful
democracy to the preservation of
civilization, if our contribution re-
mains confined to selling war
sinews to anybody who can come
and get them c. o. d.? If the Sue
cessive fates OF Austria, Czecho-
Slovakia, Poland, Finland and China
failed to jerk us out of our apathy,
there is slim prospect that Scan
dinavia's travail will do so. 1T
can't happen here" seems for the
moment to have supplanted "E