Evening star., 1940-12-31

special interest of the. United States
IN the future status of these two
strategic areas; Ireland, which con-
trolls the approaches to Northern
Europe via the English Channel and
the North Sea, and the Azores,
which control the entrance to the
Mediterranean.
In both cases. the political situa-
ton is at present favorable to
Hitler's policy. The Irish, who
used to be known as one Of the
great fighting races of Europe, are
for the first time in 1000 years out
of & great European war. They are
not under British rule or British
military occupation. They are in
dependent Of Great Britain and
have declared the neutrality. SO
they are in the position of enjoying
the practical protection of the
British Navy and the economic
benefits of neutral trade with the
United Kingdom, and Of having the
rest of the British Empire fighting
their battles. while they sit tight
and do not risk a hair of their
heads.
Irish Grieved.
Far from being easy IN their
minds, the Irish are developing a
sense of grievance, almost a sense
Of inferiority, in which the Nazis,
according to the testimony of Presi-
dent Eamon DeValera. are whipping
up Fire to attack England. This
grievance is reflected on this side
of the ocean in the attitude Of ap-
peaSers like Joseph P. Kennedy and
the defeatist group Of Irish -Ameri-
cans They are trying to rationalize
their neutrality into positive
belief that there is nothing to fight
for since Hitler is master of Europe.
For the first time in Irish history
these men are acting as though the
fighting Irish had become the
frightened Irish"
In the case Of the Azores. the
root of the trouble goes back to the
fact that under DR.. Salazar, Por-
tugal has what amounts to the most
I successful cooperative state in
| Europe. Portugal was more than
friendly to Generalissimo Franco
during the recent civil war in Spain.
and is on close terms of theology
with Mussolini For the first time
in 200 years, Portugal-England' S
Oldest ally-is neutral in a war for
the survival of the British Empire.
RoOsevelts First Objective.
The first objective of Roosevelt S
Realpolitik was to remind both Dub
lin and Lisbon that the United
States. which has long been the
mainstav of Ireland and Portugal.
cannot be Indifferent TO the fate of
Ireland or the Azores. In our Jar
flung plans for hemisphere defense,
We must make sure that these two
strategic points are in friendly
hands to ourselves, and possibly in
our own hands That is to say. If
DeValera or SalaZar should try TO
turn their bases over to the Nazis,
| the United States could not remain
detached from the transaction and
might intervene to the extent re-
qIired to prevent Cork or the
Azores being used as jumping-off
places for Nazi drive against the
Western Hemisphere.
One thing can be taken for
granted. The policy of the United
States is Of decisive importance to
the Irish Free State, and the
American Navy has it in its ply
seal power to seize the Azores bv
force should that become necessary.
In both ireland and Portugal there
i; wide body of public opinion
which would understand and sup
port action by the United States,
though the same public opinion
would be hostile to similar action
hy Great Britain.
What this amounts to is recogni-
ton OF the fact that the Monroe
Doctrine is expanding, that in view
of a possible world-order based on
force and the threat of violence, the
United States Government is pre-
pared to assert the idea that anv
axis attempt to interfere with the
sovereignty of Ireland or the Azores
Will menace our own security.
Whatever else the Nazis may have
thought Of Mr.. RooSevelt's speech,
it is taken for granted in Washing
ton that they took particular note
OF these highly practical state
ments by the Commander-in-Ch Chief
of the Army and Navy of the United
States of America.
(PaIeaea5 - C.r.o,;I.., ~,