The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-09
BY PEC1po

WV" h0i'r>' lee "a diSpatc,
from San Francisco quotes SEM
Hiram johnson as having said tbs'
there is no doubt that the 1Tni,
ed States will enter the war ~
senator is right. The people vo,as
on that question a few zee, NV
after a campaign in which be 9S,
candidates spoke practically aTGa
on the issue of War-an issue sliob.
ly disguised as full aid to Brit.
short of war;" and Mr.. WILL
at times, was forced to hon ~,
his u%tterances lest his German s1'
cestry be held against him, Ro,,
candidate hurled defiance at ADJ.
Hitler, and while it is true tb.,
some of the Willkie following honec
that he would be able to stand MI
actual participation or stand it MI
longer than President Roosevelt,
might, thus gaining time for 70,
armament, there was no substan,
tial footing for either hope. Pres.
dent Roosevelt was scolded for hi,
belllgerency, but did not take bark
and finally won a popular victory
over an opponent who differed m
the issue only in the im~agination
of the people. Wilkes acceptance
address should have dispelled Al
doubt, for in that portion of hi,
speech which dealt with the war
he was just as tough as Mr.. Roose.
welt and seemed to be pouring il
on for the considered purpose Of
showing how tough he would be if
he were president.
What else is the United State,
arming for but for war against
the dictator who has openly pro,
claimed his hostility to the pluto.
cratic nations and has ATTEMPTED
to encircle this one with powerful
enemies of similar mind? Hitler
was sighting down the barrel at this
country in those expressions, and
it would be foolish to hope that.
having conquered Britain and find.
ing the United States still incom.
pletely armed and still inept in
the use of the arms in hand, he
would then make kindly overtmes
to a nation whose president was
elected on the record which Mr..
Roosevelt had established.
Excuse For War
There is plenty in that record 10
date, including the sale of the de.
stroyers to Britain, to provide Hit.
Ter with an excuse for war against
the U. S. A., and it will be remem.
bered that the American people not
only gave that deal their enthu.
siastic Endorsement but, by their
vote, approved the method Of it,
which was questionable.
The little hitch over the matter
of tick or credit for Britain in the
purchase of war tools here will be
settled without too much parley,
Possibly, by haggling while there
is still time, the British will be
forced to let go Bermuda and some
other toeholds in American waters,
but, one way or another, a nation
so far committed as this one
against such a dangerous enemy
will find a way to furnish ships,
engines, planes and other war ma.
teria1 without any other limit than
the American capacity to produce,
minus home requirements.
No doubt these transactions will
be called sales for book purposes,
but past experience under more
favorable conditions shows the fu.
tility of hoping to collect. Even
with victory, the British would be
so badly broke and shot up at the
end of this war that any settle
ment of debts by orthodox methods
would be laughable. This means
that, in the long run, the American
people will pay for the material
which Britain receives on credit
and there is no reason to think that
Willkie would have me otherwise.
Participation might not INCLUDE
the presence of an expeditionary
force. 1t will be remembered thal
both candidates told the people that
they would not send troops 10
Europe. but there was a eaten III
that. The requirements don't M
clude troops, and, anyway, the Sit
uation is so %precarious that an
American expedition might De
caught in a defeated and hostile
country.
If the British hadn't escaped al
Dunquerque they would have tolao
themselves attacked by their lale
friends, the French, after the SUI.
render. But in a state OF war u'!'
country would suspend tempofar'
lily, hoping to get it back solne
day, much of the freedom Of oul
present state and go under olScI'
pline to produce results that are
not being obtained now and eau
not be obtained under Our 'fdoF
tional system. Without a Stale
Of war. everything lags.
The only man who has mace =
conspicuous appeal for a policy u
impartial detachment is Colonsi
Lindbergh, who was hoWled down
not only when he spoke but Oh
election day when the people lg
pudiated his optimistic belief 'ns'
a victorious Axis would let thlS Ia
ton be.
Given a choice between We
tough-talking candidates for pre-.
dent, they picked the "Aost
talk was slightly more bellleeys"r
and whose record even then "o'
one of informal or disguised pa
ticipation in the form OF alH "
Hitler's enemy.