The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-04-11

(By Staff Writer)

the returning UnderSscretary OF
State reported to the President
and Secretary Hull is ever put in
print, the volume might be en-
titled "The Education of Sum-
ner Welles. :"
There is no doubt that Mr..
Welles, after a months tour of
Europe in which he had long con-
versations with the heads of all
the governments which are at
war and the most important OF
the neutral nations, is the best
informed man in America, if not
in the world, as to the aims and
desires of Great Britain, France,
Germany and Italy.
He is the one person living who
is able to compare and check
from first-hand information the
avowed detectives of all OF the
European belligerents.
Whether anything Immediately
tangible comes of Mr.. Welles's
exploration or not, the value OF
the information which he brought
back may be very great, as a
guide to the future attitude OF
the United States.
Nothing could be more definite
than Mr.. Welles's statement on
his return that he took no peace
proposals with him, no peace pro-
posals were offered to him and
that his Government did not
send him abroad to talk about
peace.
Nevertheless, the belief still
persists among Senators and Con-
gressmen, as well as among
Statemen and observers abroad,
that the principal purpose of the
President in sending Mr.. Welles
on his mission was to- put our
Government in position where,
if opportunity offered, it could
take a strong hand in peace ne
gotiations and gain a great econo-
mic advantage in world affairs
by using the power OF our ma
tional wealth to impose peace
terms which would strengthen
the allied nations and be OF no
great aid to Germany.
That Germany is trying to stir
up trouble in the United States
and create a public opinion in op-
position to supplying munitions
to England and France is indica-
ted by the publication in Ger
many of documents which the
German government claims to
have found in the official files OF
the Polish Foreign Office in War
saw.
They consist chiefly of what
are said to be reports by Polish
officials of conversations with the
American Ambassadors in War
saw, London and Paris. These
American officials are reported as
having said, in effect, that the
United States was trying to in
duce England to go to war with
Germany and that this country
would certainly be in the war at
ter it started.
Taken Seriously
While nobody in Washington
believes there is any truth in the
statements given out by the Ger
mans, they are taken seriously
as a warning to this Government
that if it continues to be too
friendly to the Allies, Germany
will regard itself as justified IN
considering the United States an
enemy. That was about the way
Germany acted in the World War
of 1914-18, with the result that
we did get into the war.
While nobody can interpret the
presidential mind, and the be-
lief still persists in some quar-
tiers that Mr.. Roosevelt expects to
find way to convince the people
of the United States that a SER
ious foreign crisis is at hand, in
which it would be foolish to put
untried men in power, the third
term talk is actually growing less.
Since Mr.. Farley came out in
the open and declared that he
will be a candidate for the Demo
cratic nomination regardless OF
whoever else wants it, the Ad-
ministration's supporters are be-
ginning to talk more about other
persons who would be acceptable
to Mr.. Roosevelt to head the
Democratic ticket. That Mr.. Far
ley and Vice-President Garner
are working as a team to prevent
Mr.. Roosevelt's denomination is
generally believed.
No New Tax Laws
Congress, as experienced OBJ
servers have been predicting, has
dropped all pretense of economy
and is going ahead to spend mo-
ney wherever it will influence the
most voters. And, as is always
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