Evening star., 1940-08-25
Mackenzie King>Roosevelt Talk
Seen as MOmentOus in History
Canada Held Preparing to Slough Off Ties With
Europe to Be an Active Partner in Defense
of the New World
By Constantine BrO,cn.

The meeting at Ogdensburg N. Y, be-
tween President Roosevelt and Prime
Minister Mackenzie King of Canada will
60 down in history as one of the momen-
tous diplomatic meetings in the history
Of the United States. Canada is pre-
pairing to slough off all ties with Europe
and become an active partner in the
defense of the New World The Ameri-
can President and the Canadian leader
surveyed the situation of the bordering
English-speaking countries in the light
Of possible British defeat at the hands
Of the totalitarian states.
From what has occurred so far, both
leaders have gloomy view of Britain's
chances. They also realize neither Cam
ada nor the United States is in posi-
ton now to offer any effective material
help to the hard-pressed Brtishers. They
agreed there is a distinct menace to the
Western Hemisphere from totalitarian
quarters and that unless there is
thorough and complete understanding
among all the states in North and South
America, the totalitarians will be able to
pick them up one by one, starting with
the weakest and ending with the
strongest.
Canada has been invited to enter the
eventual coalition of New World repub-
lies. Heretofore she has been on the
sidelines because of her nominal depen-
dency on Great Britain. But since the
conquest of the British Isles is no longer
Just an imaginary possibility, Canada is
willing to throw in her lot with the ma
tions with which she is geographically
associated.
Latin Americas Fears Eased.
On the other hand, the American re-
publics, which heretofore have consid-
cred the North American domination of
Great Britain political dependency OF
London, are beginning to realize that
there is much more than appears on the
surface in Canada's status as dominion.
Furthermore, they understand that
defeat of Britain would sever all political
ties between Canada and the mother
country.
Under these circumstances, the fears
of many South American republics that
"the velvet glove of the Canadians hides
the claws of the British lion" will be ap-
peased and Canada may be accepted by
the 81 sister republics as one of them.
How far-reaching the discussions be-
tween Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Mackenzie
King have been is still a secret. Mr..
Roosevelt has the habit of never keeping
any minutes of his diplomatic conversa-
tions; when he feels the State Depart
ment ought to know what has been done
he gives it memorandum made up of
what he can remember from the talks he
has had with the person involved. 1t is
generally scanty and superficial.
But what happened at Ogdensburg can
be pieced together from the various talks
the President has had with Army and
State Department leaders during the
weeks preceding the meeting with the
Canadian Premier.
Totalitarian Putsches Seen.
The White House, the State, War and
Navy Departments are of the opinion
that soon after Britain goes down-and
in their opinion Great Britain has just
a thin chance of resisting the German
attack-the totalitarian states are going
to concentrate on South America.
Putsches, rebellions, etc, will be staged
by elements already at hand and pre-
pared for the zero nour.
The Havana conference was successful
inasmuch as the Latin American repub-
lies agreed to let the United States take
over strategic territories belonging to the
defeated nations and administer them in
the name of the whole Western Heml-
sphere. Furthermore, they all agreed
to deal vigorously with the fifth columns
which exist in every country in this
hemisphere The implication of this
agreement is that in the event the fifth
columnists appear to be too strong for
any individual country, the United States
will not hesitate to send the necessary
forces to help the affected governments
suppress incipient revolutions.
For this purpose and because OF the
possible effect such suppressions may
have on totalitarian states, the United
States must have strong army-which
we lack at this time. The military efforts
of the Central and South American
countries are still negligible. The as
surances obtained from the United States
will make their efforts still less energetic.
In short, if the forces of the totalitarian
powers. which are strongly organized
everywhere in this hemisphere, cause an
uprising, the United States will be COM
pelled to intervene.
The National Guard is being modified