Evening star., 1940-09-19


The record would show that the
one man in the whole world Wne
thought "appeasement" a mistake
was Secretary of State Hull. He Is
reported to have expressed his
views very forcibly to the Cham
berlain government in London botf
before and after Munich. The
President did not share Mr.. Hulls
realism.
So when Henry Wallace, vice
presidential candidate, dragged the
"appeasement" issue into the lime
light for political purposes this in
turn tended to focus particular at
tention on the part the President
himself played in the Munich set
tlement.
Mr.. Roosevelt was eager to see
war averted and went as far as
possible to prevent hostilities in Sep
tenlber, 1898. He telephOned to the
American Ambassadors abroad per-
sonal messages to be conveyed 10
the dictators and did everything he
could to try to force a conference
of some kind. The Munich settle
ment was direct outgroWth OF this
effort and the friends of the admin
istration boasted at the time OF the
role played by the President even
though CZechs in America were
broken-hearted over Mr.. Roosevelt S
coldness to their cause.
Loose Use of Term.
Unfortunately the desire to make
political capital out of simple and
carefully phrased messages urging
peaceful settlement of the dispute In
1898 was 50 conspicuous at the time
that the Republicans expressed
their resentment and the press
widely commented on the incident.
Mr.. Hull had no part in such tactics,
The fact, on the other hand, IS
Mr.. Roosevelt didn't sell Czecho-
Slovakias down the river" and Mr..
Willkie didn't say so. What the
Republican nominee endeavored to
point out was that the term "ap-
peasement" was loosely used by Mr..
Wallace with the approval of the
President. There is about as much
logic in decrying everything that
is labeled "appeasement" as there
is in assuming that the Republicans
are the price party or
that the Democrats are the Com
munist party.
When it suited the administra-
tion's purposes politically or other
wise to employ "appeasement" 1t
did so. and on the few occasions
when American influence was in
terposed to prevent hostilitles in
Europe American public opinion OF
all parties acclaimed the effort.
There may come a time when
Americas influence will have to be
exerted again to bring peace, and
hence for any political candidate
to foreclose such possibility by
using wrongly the term "appease-
ment" is to give the impression that
the United States will continue a
uasi-belligerent attitude long after
Europe has laid down its arms.
Hints Given by Diplomats.
It is true that the President has
blown hot and cold on the matter
of American foreign policy as it
relates to cooperation with Eu-
rope. All through 1888 and 1889
there were occasions when a clear
public statement of Americas posi-
ton would have profoundly affected
the course of events
Likewise there were times when
American diplomatic representatives
abroad were limiting in their in
formal conversations that the
United States would throw the
weight of its military power toward
the Allies if they became involved
in war against Germany.
The record of American diplo-
mats in the last two years is one
that would be subject to severe
criticism unless all the facts about
the then existing circumstances
were taken into consideration.
There seems no question that
American diplomats encouraged the
belief that measures short of war
would be taken against the Nazis
by the United States, but it is also
true that there were times before
and after Munich when President
Roosevelt was tragically indiffer-
ent to the fate of Czecho- -Slovakia
Chamberlain Lead Followed.
It was plainly a policy of ZAP
peasement" which was in that sense
followed before and after Munich
but it is only fair to say that the
United States followed therein the
lead of the Chamberlain govern
ment in London, whose policies
President by Ambassador Kennedy
1t may be said with emphasis thai
had Mr.. Roosevelt followed Secre.
tary Hull before and after Munich
America would have had no share
in the responsibility for the fate o1
Czecho-Slovakia, which on the rec.
ord appears to have been acqui.
esced in by the President and, in
deed, which was boasted about by
political spokesmen of the admin.
tstration as contributory factor
to the patched-up peace of 1888.
Just as Daladier and Chamber.
lain ultimately were criticized fol
their appeasement at Munich, sc
Wendell Willkie has not been re.
luctant to point the finger of in
consistency and vacillation toware
an administration in Washington
which has been regrettably inject
Ing in the campaign the fallaciou!
Issue of "appeasement."
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