Evening star., 1940-01-17
America Turns Back

Tive financial assistance from this
country in her gallant fight against
Russian invaSion-an act of wanton
aggression on the part of Stain
which is without parallel in modern
times-have been crushed by the
Presidents letters of yesterday.
To the embattled Firms, a liberty
loving people whose struggle for
continued independence in the face
of overwhelming odds has enlisted
Me deep sympathy of the vast ma
jority of Americans, the President,
In effect, has said: We sympathize
with your cause and we will be glad
to lend you money to buy the sur
plus products of our farms and fac
tories, but you must look elsewhere
If you are seeking the assistance you
really need, the financial means of
securing the implements of war
which you must have to defend your
independence.
This sentiment, expressed in the
Presidents letters to Vice President
Garner and Speaker Bankhead, is a
pale shadow, if not an implicit con-
tradiction of the courageous and
enlightened viewpoint he outlined to
Congress year ago, when he said
that "God-fearing democracies of
the world cannot forever let
pass, without effective protest, acts
Of aggression against sister ma
tions-acts which automatically un-
dermine all Of us. There are
many methods short of war, but
stronger and more effective than
mere words, of bringing home to ag-
gressor governments the aggregate
sentiments of our own people"
Surely there is a glaring incon-
sistency between the defective pro-
test" he spoke of at that time and
the present proposal to sell Finland
our surplus crops and factory prod
ucts. If this latter is to be our only
tangible protest against Russia's act
of invasion, and if it is representa-
tive of what our future foreign pol
Icy is going to he, this Nation is des-
tined to play very small part in
deed in the current fateful struggle
for supremacy between a civiliza-
tion based on a decent regard for
the rights of others and the law of
the jungle as espoused by the totali-
tartan aggressor states.
In this latest proposal of the Pres
ident, there is not the slightest evi-
dence of that determination to
throw Americas economic weight
into the scales for the preservation
of the democratic way of life which
was reflected in his determined fight
for repeal of the arms embargo.
True, the British and the French
must pay cash for their purchases
of arms from us, but Finland is not
under the credit disability that ap-
piled to France and Britain. Nor is
Finland technically at war, and 1t Is
difficult to reconcile the fact that
our Neutrality Act has not been in
voked in the case of the Russo Fin
nfSh conflict with the Presidents
intimation that loan by this coun-
try to the Firms for military pur-
poses might impair our neutrality.
The President, in yesterdays let
tiers, stated that IAN extension of
credit at this time does not in any
way constitute or threaten any So
called Involvement in European
wars" That, presumably, was di-
rected to the familiar but false argu-
ment that we entered the first World
War to protect our financial stake in
an allied victory, and The Star fully
agrees with the Presidents refuta-
ton of that contention. The fact
remains, however, that in tbs case
a loan to the Firms for the purchase
OF armament is no more apt to Gin
volve" us in the war than would a
loan for the purchase of food and
shoes for Finnish troops.
It may be argued that loans from
this country could not save Finland,
ClldU U1lC 1lUUiC 1CpubAlN 10 OOOAlCu w
defeat in any event and that, there
fore, it would be foolish for the ad-
ministration to incur the liability of
lending its support to hopeless
cause.
But that argument overlooks the
fact that the Firms have demon
strated military prowess which, if
adequately supported, might we'll en-
able them to win. And 1t also fails
to take into account the crushing
blow to the forces of democracy
which is certain to follow the spec
tacle of an America which talks
bravely Of checking aggressors, only
to fall back on a do-nothing policy
when the hour to act arrives.
When Mr.. Roosevelt's latest state
ment of our foreign policy is read
In the light of his past pronounce
ments as to the role this Nation
should play in a world which has
taken up arms to resolve an issue
that will profoundly affect the lives
Of men for generations to come, it is
impossible to escape the conclusion
nkuuuuu,uuu--sr