Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-18
Democratic Platform

Democratic Platform
The most important plank of the
Democratic platform-that on for
eign policy-represents a confusing
compromise between minority isola-
tlonists and a majority supporting
President Roosevelt's realistic and
prudent stand on the international
problems of this critical era. There
was, OF course, no disagreement with
anything the President has done in
the domestic field. The policy makers
OF the conventions Resolutions
Committee readily reviewed and
Endorsed the whole New Deal
program of economic and social
reforms, but the committee labored
nightly for hours over the so-called
issue of isolationism versus interven-
tionism. Actually, the issue was an
artificial one, for no responsible
member OF the Democratic party
nor Of the Republican party-is on
record as advocating Intervention in
other nations purely private affairs
even automatically. What the
committee produced, and the con-
vention accepted, was a curious mix
ture OF forceful, statesmanlike Ian
guage and demagogic weasel words"
The platform admits that world
revolution" has become so threaten
ing that mot until it has burned
itself out in the last corner of the
earth will our democracy relax its
guard" It states the determination
of the Democrats that war raging
in Europe, Asia and Africa Shall not
come to America" But almost in
the same breath the platform makers
notified the world, in effect, that we
will make no move to prevent by
force any act of foreign aggression
which may imperil our own democ-
racy and our own freedom until we
have actually been attacked. That,
of course, is hollow promise. Going
further than the Republicans in
pledging non-participation in foreign
wars, the Democratic party spe-
officially promised that the United
States will not send army, naval
or air forces to fight in foreign lands
outside the Americas, except in case
OF attack" What constitutes "the
Americas"-just the Western Henri
sphere, as encompassed in the Nom
roe Doctrine, or does the term in
clude Hawaii, Guam and our other
island outposts? Would foreign
lands" cover the Philippines, which
become independent a few years
hence? And Greenland, the invasion
of which by an enemy would be
grave menace to America? If war
comes to the United States, such
questions will be decided by Congress
and by the naval and military high
commands, on the basis of imme-
date requirements of the emergency
not necessarily in conformity with
the platforms drawn up by poll
ticians far in advance of unpre-
dictab1e circumstances.
On the subject of national defense
expansion, the Monroe Doctrine and
material aid to victims of ruthless
aggression, there is little to differ
entiate between the Democratic and
Republican platforms. Both parties
stand for immediate strengthening
of the Army and the Navy to a de-
gree of invincibility against any
combination Of enemy powers. Both
uphold the Monroe Doctrine without
equivocation. Both pledge assistance
to peoples fighting to defend their
liberties, consistent with interna-
tional law and with our own defense
needs. These are declarations that
have the overwhelming approval of
the American people.
Like the Republican platform,
however, the Democratic chieftains
avoided an important declaration
indispensable in rounding out safe
and effective defense program. Con-
spicuously missing was an espousal
of the Roosevelt administrations
courageous and sensible plan for a
system Of compulsory selective serv-
ice to train all able bodied Americans
for actual defense of their country
in time of need. The Democratic
platform speaks of the necessity for
total defense" and the futility OF
partial defense" but it neglects even
to mention the weakest spot in our
defense armor-the lack of trained
man power to use the billions of
dollars worth Of weapons to be made
available. This problem must be
faced at once by statesmen of both
parties-without regard to partisan
ship. There must be no appeasement
of pacifists, no comp omise with
anti-militarists in this vital phase
Of American preparedness.
While Ulster considers itself at
war, along with the rest Of the