Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-10
Believes u. S. Will
Avoid War
BIZ ODen L. Scott.

United States now drift rapidly toward
war? Certainly, the country gained the
impression in recent weeks that only the
fact of an approaching election slowed
down the taking of steps that lead to
war. The implication was that once the
election had been held trouble would
follow.
The fact is, however, that so far as
any one here can discover the United
States has no desire and no intent to get
into war, either in Europe or in Asia.
The United States does intend to do two
things that could lead to war. First. it
intends to speed up and to increase the
aid going to Great Britain. This aid
will center in airplanes and in merchant
shipping. Second, it intends to defend
against encroachment every vital Amer
lean interest in this hemisphere and in
the Far East.
Just about everybody in this country
seems to agree that every aid should be
given to Great Britain short of actual
war. Nearly everybody also is agreed
that the United States should give no
aid that can be avoided to those Nations
that are the enemies of Great Britain
and potential enemies of, the United
States. The Japanese, for instance, have
publicly paraded their opposition to this
Nation. AS a result, there is the very
definite prospect that the flow of Ameri-
can war materials to Japan may be
limited further.
If the United States should decide not
to allow Japan to have more American
oil with which to operate her fleet or
her air force, the Japanese might decide
to attack in a way that would force this
Nation to strike back. If the, United
States should decide to let the British
have more and more old naval vessels
and to supply the British with more war
planes of the kind that permit attack
deep into Germany, the Germans might
readily try to strike back at this country.
Then, of course, there would be trouble.
But there really is no intent and no
need on the part OF the United States TO
90 to war with either Germany or Japan.
AS matters now stand, the British-with
the aid of supplies from American indus
try-are handling the Germans and
Italians. The Chinese-with moral sup
port from this country and some supplies
are restraining the japanese, who also
are getting American supplies.
What the British need is a steadily in
creasing flow of war materials for use by
their air force and navy. German attack
l. ffaatinO narrS of Rrlt-
ish industry so that it is going to be less
able to produce war goods. German at
tack at sea, by use Of submarines and
airplanes, is seriously interfering with
the movement of goods to Britain. The
United States will have to solve both of
these problems for the British by opening
to Britain an increasingly large proper
ton of American productive machinery.
But that is not war.
What the Chinese need is a larger sup
ply of American war materials for them
selves and some reduction in the volume
of American war materials that now are
flowing to the Japanese for use against
China, and possibly for use against
American interests in the Far East. II
Japan should be denied the right to sup
ply her war machine from the Ameri-
can market that might stall it after a
time.
The result of all of this is that the
United States can hold the key to world
developments without getting into the
fight in any direct way. Fighting would
come only if the Germans or japanese
,NrofoY.rpd no
with this Nation to a situation in which
the United States served as a supply
base for the British and Chinese.
Isn't there a good chance that under
these rather strange circumstances, the
belligerent nations will decide to end
their war rather than 60 on weakening
themselves while the United States is
growing strong? 1t is beginning to look
like a long war. Might the nations in
volved conclude that a long war isn't
worth the effort, and set about looking
for a peace formula?
The Germans already are suggesting
that peace might be had on the basis of
permitting the British to keep their en-
pire, while Germany is given dominance
on the continent of Europe. This sounds
reasonable enough on the surface, mas
much as the Germans already have con-
uuered most of Europe. 1t is a sugges-
ton however, that the British cannot
accept.
X X X X
Great Britain exists as great nation
solely because she carried on as the
middle man and financier and shipper
for much of Europe. She was the fun
mel through which the raw materials of
her empire flowed on their way to the
markets of the continent If Great Brit
ain should agree to allow Germany to
dominate the continent then the German
ships would handle the great volume OF
commerce. German ports would thrive
while British ports decayed, German
banks would handle the finances of Eu-
rope. while British banks lost much OF
their reason for existence. German in
dustry would do the processing and Ger
man merchants would do the trading
that British professors and merchants
now do.
But is there any hope that the Ger
mans. now dominating Europe, can ever
be dislodged from that dominance? Are
the British ever going to be able to lick
the Germans, even If the Germans can
not lick the British who are aided by the
United States?