Evening star., 1940-08-11

at all, our effort must 60 beyond
the mere selling or lending to the
British of 50 destroyers. It may be
Of some help II we could get the
necessary legislation passed in time
to enable the British to make effec-
tive use Of the destroyers-but it
would not be certain that we could
dothis, and We might well be throw
ing away ships which would be vital
for our own defense later on. We
can hardly start bargaining with
our friends when their backs are
against the wall. That is no time
to talk of quid pro quos.
What we can do is to recognize
clearly and calmly and fully that
there does exist community of
interest. an area Of common pur-
pose and common need between the
nations Of the British common
wealth and ourselves; and once we
have made this the immediate guild
ing purpose of our military and for
eign policy, we shall have gone far
toward reaching a sensible and ef-
fective solution Of many of our pres
ent difficulties.
I believe that the beginning Of
such a policy might well be the
procedure suggested in the editorial
columns OF the Herald Tribune on
August 8, mutual defense pact with
our neighbor, the Dominion Of Can
ada. Such a pact would naturally
be implemented by stan converse
tions, and the making of certain
adjustments Hereunder.
Might Lend Ships to Canada.
Canada might well assume, for
the empire, the defense of all Brit
ish possessions in the Western Hem
isphere: q defense in which we
should be associated, and should be
enabled to bear an active part. Were
this to be done, it would be much
less dangerous for us to let our
Canadian associates have the as
sistance OF certain Of our naval ves-
sels-and If these were to turn up
in the English Channel, they would
still be contributing directly to the
defense of Canada. The command
Of the Atlantic Ocean is a matter
OF bases as well as ships, and If our
base situation is as much improved
as 1t might be with British and Ca
madam cooperation, our ship re-
quirements undergo definite altera-
tionS.
Moreover, We cannot forget our
other ocean, the Pacific. If we be-
come seriously threatened in the
Atlantic, we must let our Pacific in
terests suffer for the moment, at
least to certain extent. But what
can be done with Canada can be
done also with Australia and New
Zealand; as a restraint on japanese
expansionist policies in the Pacific,
the United States feet at Hawaii
is one thing, the United States fleet
based on Australian ports and per-
haps Singapore Is quite another,
especially If it has the support of
such British and Dutch cruisers.
submarines and aircraft as are still
in those waters.
Under Defense Policy.
Thus a defense pact with Canada
would open the door to a far wider
defense policy, which might go far
toward really restraining the New
World conquerers in both Europe
and Asia, putting to the best pos
sible use the weapon of sea power,
which has ever been the sword and
shield of freedom against the ad-
vance of tyranny.
In order to do this, we need not
declare war; indeed, We ought not
to, at this juncture-in the opinion,
at least, of this writer. We can,
however, enjoy some of the priv
ileges Of "non-belligerency" or
moral belligerency" Just as well as
others can. We need not stand by
with our hands tied with legal red
tape while the world as we know it,
and civilization as we have helped
build it, is destroyed by cynical con-
querors who have not the least re-
gard for any tenet Of right or justice
or law save as they can use such