davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1940-09-29
Text Of Wees Talk Lashng at Japan and Defining u Policy

European war, the foreign min
lister of Japan, in q public state
ment, asserted that Japan de-
sired the maintenance o. the
status quo Of the Netherlands
East Indies. On April IT the
Secretary of State made a state
ment on behalf Of the United
States expressing the belief OF
this Government that the best
interests of all nations called for
maintenance o, the status quo
In the entire Pacific area. On re-
peated occasions since then Of
fetal spokesmen for the Jap
anese government have reiter.
ated their desire for the MAIN
tenance of the present status Of
the Netherlands East Indies, and
have further specifically de-
clared that this policy applied
not only to the Netherlands East
Indies, but to French Indo-
China as we'll. Nevertheless, and
Notwithstanding these official
declarations, we are all familiar
with the events Of the past week
which have eliminated in meas
ures undertaken by the Jap
anese military forces which
threaten the integrity Of the
French colony.
From the standpoint OF reason,
OF common sense and OF the best
practical interests of all Of the
powers possessing interests in the
Far East there is no problem pre-
sented which could not be peace
fully solved through negotiation,
provided there existed a sincere
desire on the part Of all con-
cerned to find an equitable and
a fair solution which would give
just recognition to the rights
and to the real needs of all con-
cerned.
AS the weeks pass. tides OF an
archy and of chaos are threaten
ing to engulf the continent Of
Europe.
We have seen during the past
18 months the disappearance or
the armed occupation of Czecho-
Slovakia. Poland. Norway, Dem
mark, Holland, Belgium. Lithu-
ania, LattHia. Estonia; the de-
feat and partial occupation OF
the great Republic of France:
the dismemberment. through
threat of force, of Rumania, and
the spoilation, after an heroic
resistance, of the Republic OF
Finland.
Warfare has now engulfed the
Mediterranean region and threat
ems to spread to the Near East.
British People Praised
For Defense of Liberties.
Alone, the British people, with
a heroism which is worthy of the
finest traditions of that brave
people, are defending successfully
their homes and their liberties
which are the same liberties
which free men cherish every
where.
1t is the policy Of your Gov
ernment, as approved by the
Congress of the United States,
and, I believe, by the overwhelm-
ing majority of the American
people, to render all 6aterial
See WELLES, Page Ala.
Evening star., 1940-09-29

tence, through the Tariff Act Of
1880, upon closing our markets to
our neighbors.
Today, that condition, for
tuntely, has vanished. 1t began
to disappear after the Inter-
American Conference of 1893
when Secretary Hull, in the name
Of this Government. made it
clear that the United States
would no longer intervene in the
internal affairs Of the other
American republics. 1t was still
further dissipated when thiz
Government, through the provi-
sions of the Trade Agreements
Act. made 1t evident that the
United States was not only will
ing but anxious to trade with its
neighbors on terms Of mutual
advantage: and thus the way was
prepared for the holding Of the
Conference for the Maintenance
Of Peace in Buenos Aires in 1895
in a spirit Of nascent under
standing, and mutual reliance by
all of the American republics.
Few of you probably recall
today that the suggestion for the
holding Of this conference was
made by President Roosevelt so
long ago as on January 30. 1896
through personal letters which he
addressed to the Presidents OF all
Of the other American republics.
The war clouds over Europe
were steadily darkening, and the
President foresaw clearly that In
the event of q new world war.
no greater assurance could be
offered to the nations Of the New
World that the peace of the
Western Hemisphere would be
maintained, and that in the event
that any aggression against the
American continent threatened,
the United States could count
upon the loyal friendship Of
her American neighbors, than
through the perfection Of agree
ments between them which would
reduce the possibility OF hostili-
ties between themselves, and
afford a common policy in the
event Of danger from abroad.
Consultative Meetings
OF American Republics.
That suggestion was made four
and a half years ago. and 1t Is
now we'll worthwhile to remember
that at that conference there
was for the first time proclaimed
by the 81 American republics IN
unanimous accord the great
principle that any threat to the
peace of any one of the Ameri-
can republics affects the peace OF
them all.
Since that time there has
been held the Inter-Amerlcan
Conference of Lima in 1888
which strengthened notably the
earlier acts Of the conference at
Buenos Aires. and which indi-
Gated still more clearly the in
tention OF the American re-
publics to assume common front
against any threat of aggression
to the New World. As a result
of machinery there set up, there
have also been held since the
war broke out. two consultative
meetings at Panama and at Ha-
vana.
Three important achievements
at the Panama meeting are
worthy of special mention.
First. the declaration by the
American republics that 50 long
as this continent remains at
peace the American nations are
entitled as of inherent right to
have the waters adjacent to their
Evening star., 1940-09-29
We Must Prepare
For All EventuaIities,
Diplomat Warns
British Praised for
Courageous Defense
OF Their Liberties

The address OF UnderSecretdry
Of State Sumner Welles before the
Foreign Affairs Council in Clepe-
land yesterday:
Imperial Valley press., 1940-09-10
AMERICAN KAMPF
IS ON TRIAL
Christian Science Monitor)

In sense, American democracy is to-
day on trial The court is the world
arena and the jury consists of unfolding
events The prosecutor is the totalitar-
ian philosophy, armed with propaganda
and charging that free government is in
efficient, corrupt and weak.
Defending the accused are the Ameri-
can people Their defense is that democ-
racy is inherently strong because it rests
upon fundamental human rights. They
insist that in practice it is less corrupt
than totalitarianism; that-and mark the
words-it is potentially the most efficient
kind of human government. SO great are
its capacities for effectual governing that
democracy, they are convinced, can sue
cessfully meet a modern military threat.
Against this background recent
statement of an official of Boston is
challenging because it typifies a view
point. Defending Boston'S loosely or
ganized and archaic budgetary system
by which the Hub actually has no city
budget for the first several months of
each year-he declared: "You can't get
away from it. These delays are simply
a phenomenon of the democratic sys-
tenn"
His statement reminds one of the oft
heard remark: 'Inefficiency? Oh, that's
politics. What else can one expect?" Or
the observation which politicians have
been known to make: "The people don't
reward you for being honest" These
comments imply the acceptance that de-
mocraey's present problems are newt
able, inherent and beyond solution, and
therefore to be endured without effort
toward improvement.
The immediate necessity of democracy
is to prove its soundness by showing its
capacity effectually to solve its present
problems at home or abroad. This is a
challenge to every citizen. Whether ones
individual task be that of finding ways
to improve city administration methods,
or of being better informed and more
active citizen, or of following the light
of honest conviction in legislative roll
calls, today's challenge is to help make
American democracy more worthy to
survive
Imperial Valley press., 1940-09-10
Willis Thornton's Editorial On:
Fifty Destroyers and Then?
and Then?

or from one which after three years
of big-time campaigning in China
still insists it is not at war. If
there are new conceptions abroad in
the world of what a country can
do and vet not be at war, those
conceptions are not of our making.
Nor is the point of legalistic hair
splitting too important. There is
still the gravest doubt that JEFF
ferson had any constitutional war
rant to buy louisiana. yet nobody
today suggests that he shouldn't
have acted, and acted as he did,
personally and promptly. The GUS
tomary opportunity to repudiate
this policy if the country feels that
way, will be open at the polls in
November; an opportunity not per-
haps TO rescind this action, but to
check any further progress along
the same path.
That is what is important. Have
we, by definite promise or by i'm
plication, committed the United
States TO further aid 10 Britain?
The president should be specific
about this.
Imperial Valley press., 1940-09-10

The transfer of so destroyers to
Britain is, as the president said, a
fat accOmpli. which is fancy French
for something definitely complet-
ed.
Is the transaction complete?
That's more important than the
thing itself As a horse-trade even
the presidents most vociferous OPP
ponents have to admit it's a good
one. The screen of naval bases
IN the Atlantic should be better
protection in one year than all the
ships which could be built in five.
The destroyers themselves will not
notably weaken present naval
strength. Militarily. we gain.
It seems unlikely that the attitude
Of either Germany or Japan to-
ward the United States will change
as a result. Both are complete
realists in foreign policy: we believe
both will tend TO respect another
country's being equally realistic.
Surely no accusation that "this is
war" can come with any force
either from a country which sent
not only material but crack troops
into Spain denying it was war;
Imperial Valley press., 1940-09-10
80 COUNTRY ~

lage green ever attested that Jona-
than had said to the man who
had walked him: Mr. Revere, this
is obviously propaganda ON the part 4
of imperialistic moneygrubbers who
would sacrifice my life on the
altar of self interest
And as for Bill Dock there Y
no record of his having said, when
he started out to help Jim An
derson on the Wilson farm, that
Jim's ancestors had established a
greedy empire that was no better
than it should be. and therefore
Jim could fend for himself. We
know from what Bill did that he
said nothing to himself. Perhaps
the main feeling Bill had was that
the kind of life he lived-work
that he liked in the sun and talk
by night beside the stove, trading
ideas on running the government
with Jim Anderson and Wyatt Fen.
ity-was endangered by men VINO
if they could, would tell him what
he should work at and what he
shouldn't and who wouldn't let
him speak his mind any more.
I'm not saying that Bill and
Jonathan did the wisest thing pos
sible under the circumstances. They
had no experts to tell them what
to do, and so they just did the
best they could. Perhaps they would
have acted more wisely If they
had considered sending beef or bull
lets to help their neighbors defend
themselves. That question ought'
to be left to men of experience IN
such things.
But Bill Dock told the world on
that autumn evening that the spirit
of Jonathan Harrington still lives.
In an age of the questioning OF
most accepted values Bill Dock
proved tere are certain values that
are not questioned by men of good
will the values of home and
friendship and a free democratic
life.
Fighting among ourselves Is one
proof that we are not degenerate,
writes John Steinbeck i'm the nexs
article of this series on "Our COun-
try"
Imperial Valley press., 1940-09-10
NOT KNOWING, LET
US PREPARE FOR WORST

If the people in this country knew the
true status of things in Germany ana
England today, it would be far easier to
plot a course for national defense.
But the people of America as whole
know no more than the people Of lmpe-
rial Valley how much real damage Ger
man bombers have done in Great Britain,
nor how much havoc British bomberS
have caused in Germany and German-held
territory. We have no idea how close to
a final decision is Europe's war. We have
no knowledge of the respective power OF
German and English air forces. We know
only that tragedy is abroad in both lands.
We know. too, that we would be face
to face with a titantic economic struggle
if England crumbles.. and possibly we
would be forced into military struggle.
But we cannot know Germany's lnten-
tions in the western hemisphere. We can
only guess.
Not knowing, there is only one safe
course to pursue. Prepare to the last
degree. Build ships and planes and guns.
Create an army that is invincible. Arm
as we would arm if we were even now at
war. Get ready for the worst even while
we hope for the best.
But while we are getting ready, let
us not succumb to the war fever that
Is Tile greatest udilS6T III SuSll piCPoiSu
ness. Let us not be swayed in the winds
of hatred that are sweeping across the
world; let us stand firm against the
propaganda which is right now seeking
to force us into Europe's war.
For here is the greatest danger of them
all: that our leaders, seeking public sup
port in their entirely praiseworthy eff
forts to hasten national defense prepare
TONS will arouse such mass hysteria that
the nation becomes anxious to go beyond
defense-to go into actual conflict. We
do not want that.
By retaining our national sanity, we
can arm to the teeth, yet keep out of war
until such time as we are forced by ag
gresson to step in. BY losing our sanity
in a wave of hysteria, we can plunge our
selves in right away. And, even if we
wanted to go in, we're not ready. So
let's get ready as fast as We can-and
then not fight unless We have to-
Imperial Valley press., 1940-09-10
DESTROYERS,
NOT PLANES

Unofficial word here from Brit
ain is that transfer of the destroy
ers will greatly diminish the threat
of a German invasion of the Brit
ish Isles. Fifty destroyers as naval
experts here see it, added to Brit
ish light craft already available,
should make any effort to land
troops extremely hazardous; it is
pointed out. too, that for shore-def-
ense use in the narrow channel
waters these boats will actually be
as effective as so many battleships.
Britain's Destroyer building pro-
gram got under way late and only
few are being launched this year.
Forty-one are to be done in 1941
Understanding here is that the
British have plenty of anti-aircraft
guns for the American vessels; as
presently equipped, each of these
destroyers carries only one, a three
neh affair.
Imperial Valley press., 1940-09-10
REMEMBER THE OFFICE.
If NOT THE MAN

Increasingly as the national preSlden-
tial campaign gets under way, theater-
goers notice a tendency to hiss and boo
the candidates. In Imperial Valley, as
in Los Angeles-if reports from there
are true-most of the boos and Kisses
have been aimed at newsreel pictures of
President Roosevelt.
1t is unfortunate that either man
should be bOoed but it is most unfortu-
nate that the President should be sub
jected to this indignity Not because he
is Franklin D. Roosevelt and candidate
for reelection, but because he is, until
such time as an election shall unseat him,
President of the United States.
Thoughtless partisans of Wendell Will
kie, of course, do not intend to debase
the presidency. (Willkie himself has re-
Trained more than any other candidate
in recent years from anything even hint
ing at mud-slinging.) But those who
boo Roosevelt cannot help it-they boo
the President at the same time And
that is thing no true American, with
pride in his country, should do.
Every man has right to work against
the reelection of a President He has a
right to express, whenever and wherever
he pleases, his dislike for the way any
particular man fills the presidency. He
has right to criticize as sharply as he
wishes.
But, along with those rights, he owes
respect to the institutions Of this country,
and the presidency is the greatest of
those institutions.
Imperial Valley press., 1940-09-10
LETTER CAMPAIGN
STIMULATED MOVE

Most of the publicizing of the
affair was carried on by the Will
lam Allen White committee. After
the project had been before the
public a while, the committee
brought forth high-powered legal
breif asserting that under existing
law the president had the power to
trade the destroyers without prior
consent of Congress. This brief
signed by four prominent lawyers
Charles G. Birmingham, Thomas D.
Thatcher, George Rublee and Dean
Acheson was published on the edit
orial page of the New York Times
A little later the White House
suggested the cause might be helped
if senator's and congressman began
to get letters urging the transfer.
The committee saw to it that some
thousands of these were sent.
After that it engaged a survey
organization to study the protests
against the projected sale. This
group analysed the mail of vari-
GUS congressman and reported that
the bulk of the Mosaic letters were
more or less directly Communist
inspired.
Meanwhile the White House care
fully sounded out sentiment on
Capitol Hill. Oddly enough, it learned
that quite number of Republicans
would be just as we'll pleased to
. have the President go ahead and
make the deal without asking
Congress about 1.-THE theory being
that Congress probably would APP
prove anyhow and that if there was
any way of sparing members the
necessity of voting, on it, in an cleo
ton year so much the better.
Imperial Valley press., 1940-09-10
Bruce Cation
In WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1O.-Behind
the swap of those so destroyers for
naval and air base leases on Brit
ish islands there is a story of long
patient work by various private
American citizens who have felt all
along that England is to a great
extent fighting Americas fight.
First impetus came a couple of
months ago. when some of these in
dividualS who had access to official
circles in England asked the British
government point-plank what sort
OF help from America was most Wit
ally needed. Back came the answer
"Destroyers-as many of them as
possible
This attitude was made known to
the US. administration and the
campaign was on.
Imperial Valley press., 1940-09-10
ANGLO AMERICAN UNITY

IDalIy HaWk-Eye, burlington, IOWaJ
Josiah Wedgwood, labor leader in the
British House of Commons, has made
suggestion that will startle most Ameri-
cans . He suggests a closer political
union between Britain and America, such
as was offered to France just before that
nations collapse
'The time may come when America
may make like offer to u.s." he says.
THAT day, when it comes, will mean both
the winning of this war and the saliva
ton of the race"
A political union of the United States
and the British Empire is something that
few Americans and few Britons ever eX-
pected to hear of in their lifetime . If
it suddenly became a question of saving
Anglp-Saxon and Anglo-American civili-
zation-well who knoWS2
Imperial Valley press., 1940-09-10
A MUTUAL DEFENSE TREATY
{ HalifaX Nova Scotial Chroniclel

A mutual defense treaty between the
United States and Canada . . would be
a Western Hemisphere affair. 1t need
not involve the United States in Europ-
can conflict neither would it compro-
mise Canada's associations with Great
sense arrangement by two good neigh
bors, based on geographical circum-
stances, for their own protection.
Certainly cooperative system for
defending the Atlantic seaboard from La
brador to the Caribbean would be of adj
vantage to both of us.
Imperial Valley press., 1940-09-10
Paul Harrison S Notes
On Ho||ywood's FoibIes and Fads

pire government has not indicated
any notion that its nationals in
Hollywood should go to England to
make movies or bear arms.
CENSORS
BLUNDERED
In connection with that. it seems
to me one of the stupidest blunders
of English censorship was made in
permitting Michael Balloon to i'm
pugn the honor and loyalty and
courage of a large group of men
and women who in a popular sense
are more representative of their
country than all its ambassadors
and ministers and consuls.
The disgruntled London produ-
Ger figures that his former COL
leagues ought to be over there Ia
boring for the preservation of Eng
lands cinema industry and try
ing to harness the films to our
great national effort Maybe So
On the other hand, he could
learn by reading box office statis-
tics that now. more than ever. the
War-Weary English people want
Americana made pictures. They want
escapist entertainment, not propa-
ganda Even Hollywood's best and
bitterest anti-Nazi efforts are less
enthusiastically received than Re
becca,' Grapes of Wrath" and
Gone With the Wind"
BALLOON GOT
BRUSH-OFF
A man who considered himself
Balcon's friend until a few days
ago tells me the producer spends
his nights in a civilian anti-air-
craft corps. I have no information
about his professional activities. I
do know that Balloon got the we'll
known brush-off from Hollywood
in the course of a brief associa-
ton with Metro. He was replaced
as M-G-M's executive producer in
London by Victor Saville, now in
Hollywood, who made THE Citadel"
and Goodbye, Mr.. Chips.'
1t may have been Saville to whom
Balloon referred with special bitter
ness as "a plump young techni-
clan" formerly in his employ. Or
else he meant Alfred Hitchcock, who
is much plumper and who also was
a Balloon technician
Imperial Valley press., 1940-09-10
BY CARL GARNER

Author of Deep South" "Stars
Fell on Alabama" "The Hudson"
etc.
The Wilson Farm at Growers
Mill was mistaken for the Wilmuth
farm, of the play. Two of the three
tenant families on the farm were
at home when the false alarm
spread. Mr.. and Mrs. James Ander-
son switched over to OrSon
Welles' program and heard the
bulletins on what was happening
right in their own back yard.
Mr.. and Mrs. wyatt Fenity and
their two children, who also live
on the farm were in bed asleep
E. william Dock, 76-year-old resi-
dent of Growers mill, heard it and
got out his shotgun"
From the New York Herald Tri-
bune for Oct. 81, 1888.
Old Bill Dock had had a pretty
hard day for late fall There's a
lot to do at Growers Mill in mid
die Jersey between harvest-time
and the beginning of winter Bill
ate his supper and rested easy by
the radio. He was listening to
some music when he dozed off.
When you're rs it's easy to fall
asleep.
Bill couldn't have slept very long
before an excited voice walked him.
One of those news fellows was hot
about something. At first it was
hard for Bill to get the drift of it
but when he did he jumped up
quick enough. Some mean-looking
strangers had landed AN airplane
on the flat meadow that's part Of
the Wilson farm. The foreigners
had got out of their plane and
begun to act nasty, and pretty
soon Bill could tell that they meant
business The radio man said they
had killed off most of the state
police that had showed up. and
the governor was calling the militia
Bill didn't hesitate after that.
of his lived up on the Wilson farm.
So did the wyatt Fenitys and their
two bright kids. Bill went out to
the Woodshed and took down his
shot gun. When he came back
through the house he opened the
pantry cupboard, found a couple
of boxes of shells, and stuffed them
in his pants spockets. Then he
went out the back door and started
across the fields toward the Will
son farm.
A lot of folks made fun of Bill
the next day. They laughed at
him for having been taken in by
play-actor pretending to be a
news brOadcaster. But Bill Dock
has been one of my heroes ever
since that October night. I couple
his name in my memory with that
of Jonathan Harrington and for
q good reason.
Jonathan was also asleep one
night when he heard an excited
voice on the air. 1t said a thousand
foreign soldiers were marching
down the road to town. and Jona-
than got up and took his musket
and walked out to the village green
where he found John Parker, Bob
Monroe Sam Hadley, Ike Muzzy and
more of his neighbors. A few hours
later Jonathan (Who was much
younger that Bill Dock was ON
the night he set out for the Will
son farm craWled back home across
the grass with a bullet in his belly.
He reached his steps and died just
as his wife came out of the door.
Now the point that I'd like to
make is that none of Jonathan
Harrbgton's companions of the
1atefull morning on Lexington viii