Evening star., 1940-12-29
Two Courses Open
to United Stutes
By OUen L. Scott.

| from world trouble by pulling back into
the Western Hemisphere, or the course
| of expansion by pushing out into the
world to take its chance with other
| ambitious nations in the battle for
leadership.
| President Roosevelt is turning his
back upon isolation. The Presidents
decision is definite and determined
That decision is reflected in present
plans to begin giving real aid to England.
| 1t is demonstrated in the firm stand
being taken in relations with Japan.
1t is seen in the plan to provide arms
for an army of 100000 men and to
build navy supreme in two oceans.
There is strong opposition to this deci-
sion within Congress and in the Nation.
That opposition, however, lost the last
| election and foreign policy is for the
| President to determine. That policy is
to be expansionist, involving the power
| and resources of the United States to
maintain as much as possible of the
| Anglo-Saxon world influence.
On every hand there is wonder where
| this decision will lead America. Busi-
nessmen are inclined to look at the
| debt that is to be created to arm this
| country and to aid England. Rising
| debt and rising taxes to cover the cost
| of the new venture cause hesitation and
some fright. There also is fear that if
| the United States exerts its influence
| in the world the result will be war
| There is a widespread feeling inside
| and outside of industry that this country
would do we'll to forget about the rest
| of the world and to crawl into its hole.
Actually. the course that President
| Roosevelt is choosing is the more con-
| Servative course. If successful it can
| relieve this Nation of many future
| difficulties. If unsuccessful, and If Ger
| many wins and extends her system and
influence over much of the world, then
the United States still can enjoy the
difficulties of isolation that so many
| people want to face at once.
Isolation means vastly expanded New
| Deal. 1t means ingrowing pains as
| groups scramble among themselves for
the available privileges. 1t means greatly
| increased planning by Government to
Soi'C Vic ldl III pIODlciII anu the SAYINGS
investment problem, and all the multi
| tude OF problems that grow up when
| the automatic controls of a world
| capitalism are removed. It means crea-
| ton OF great amount of Government
debt as Government directs savings into
| investment SO that there can be work
for more people. Businessmen have not
| liked the ro othar mil
means that they probably would not
| like the much stronger New Deal that
isolation would force. They can look
at Germany and Japan and Italy and
Russia for examples of systems that
rest upon nationalistic isolation.
Expansion means growth of Ameri-
| can enterprise and influence outside the
confines of the country. 1t means using
American capital to make loans in
undeveloped areas of the world with
| those areas then turning to the United
States for those industrial products
| needed in their development. 1t means
| that surplus capital and surplus goods
will flow abroad with foreigners be-
| Wiling tliC 0CbUOlo VIII WILL WOI n W pay
| of these debts. 1t means policing of the
seas Of the world so that trade can flow
unmolested. 1t means that the United
States with its vastly stronger position,
would inherit the world role that Great
Britain has filled for such a long
period. With expansion as policy,
American group interests would tend
to look forward and internal pressures
would be lesSened. There would be
much less need for a stronger New
| Deal at home.
President Roosevelt now is setting out
on the course of expansion. That course
will involve chance taking and dangers
in dangerous world 1t calls for un-
limited use of American resources to
save England and to overcome Adolf
Hitler If those resources can be mobilized
and put to work in time. 1t will call for
vast expenditures and a great increase
in national debt. But, if successful, the
| United States will be in a position of
world leadership. The opportunities
that this leadership will create will make
debt seem like very secondary con-
sideration, inasmuch as other peoples
then can help to meet its cost.
| Persons who have had a hand in
shaping present policies point out that
after the Revolutionary War the result
ing debt of few million dollars looked
lmposslbly large. Yet few years later
that debt appeared unimportant. After
| the Civil War the debt of $4,000 900 900
was expected to wreck the country Yet
1t was not long before that debt was
largely retired. The World War debt of
5000, 100000 looked immense. 1t was
soon reduced and today would look small
The moral is that debt creates no
problem in an expanding Nation. AS
income rises the problem of meeting
interest payments becomes steadily less
difficult. 1t is only when income con-
tracts that debt becomes burdensome.
Consequently, as the President sees II.
debt is secondary consideration as the
United States sets out to take its place
as a dominant world power. If the
United States fails to reach that place,
and if the British Empire is broken UP
and scattered, then debt would be a
problem, but problem that might seem
mild alongside some of the others that
would arise. Such is the official atti-
tude here.
The background of the present situa-