Evening star., 1941-11-14

emphasize their David Lawrence.
demand for legislation to curb
strikes on defense production.
Others gave vent to grievances of
one kind or another against the ad-
ministratlon or the President.
If the United States is clearly
demonstrated to be in need of q
vote of Congress as measure OF
safety or as a move in support OF
the anu-AXls sentiment OF the
country, the tally would be almost
as overwhelming as 1t has been on
the lease lend legislation.
What is more important than the
domestic phases of the controversy
is that Congress has at last placed
the position of America on the
same basis of international law that
it applied before the "cash-and-
carry" policy was adopted.
Isolationists Effected Law.
The isolationist sentiment, which
for decade or more has been DOM
inant, managed to get the neutrality
restrictions through Congress in the
first instance. This was the senti-
ment which persuaded many people
that wars start with munitions
makers and that only sordid flnan-
cial gain induced the United States
TO enter the last war. This kind of
argument, sponsored by Senator
Nye and others, was responsible for
the neutrality legislation restric-
tions which, incidentally. were sup
ported in the first instance by many
members in Congress who came to
share the view that if American
ships were kept off the oceans there
would be no danger of war.
What has happened since is that
even in peaceful waters far from
the battle zones, American ships
like the steamship Lehigh-empty
Of cargo and bound homeWard from
neutral port, have been torpedoed
without warning. The right of the
United States to traverse the high
seas has been challenged by the
Nazis and there is, of course, no
rule Of international law which gives
any nation complete sovereignty
over the oceans even in time of
war
The fact also is that munitions
makers in America have been and
are against the war and that the
principal support of the America
First Committee and the isola-
tionists has come from industrialists
who might be expected under the
Nye doctrine to want war. The
average businessman has been
against American participation in
the war and many of them have
been criticized for not taking on
defense contracts more energeti-
cally.
Still Up to Hitler.
Since the alleged causes OF war
have been gradually erased as the
true causes and since the Hitler
cruelty and aggression have been
exposed to view, Congress has had
to decide whether it would submit to
the invasion of its rights and at
tacks on its merchant ships.
The new legislation does not mean
war unless Hitler wants to start
general hostilities. It merely means
that American ships will assert the
same rights they had in 1914.
Whether violations of American
rights on the high seas will result
In America becoming an active bel
ligerent, as occurred in 1917, is still
.rat'er of conjecture. Many
persons in Washington regard war
as inevitable but they believe this
not because of any desire here for
war but because they think Hitler
will force the issue.
This correspondent is of the i'm
preston that Hitler will not force
the issue and that it is extremely
improbable that a declaration OF
state of war will come from either
the United States or Germany. The
present situation is form of un-
declared war that Germany and
other nations have employed in
the last few years. 1t is g policy
that conforms to the strategic needs
OF the nation that uses it. There
IS no rule of international law which
requires a declaration of war If both
helligerents wish to refrain from
making such declaration.
New View of Neutrality.
Ever since Hitler decided to 60
through neutral Denmark. Norway,
Holland and Belgium. new con-
ception of neutrality" has been
developed on the defensive side,
too. Neutrals on the defensive
who are potentially in danger OF at
tack from an outlaw state no longer
regard it necessary to abstain from
openly helping belligerents who
fight against the aggressor states.
II undeclared war is anomalous, it
is not because the neutrals have
desired it so but because it is the
only way they can make protective
neutrality effective.
The vote in the House for the
removal of restrictions on American
ships that wish to enter all ports Of
the world irrespective of blockades
was somewhat different from that
which merely authorized the arming
Of merchant ships. Many Demo-
Gratis bolted but this time the Re
publicans again lined up as they
did on the first measure. The
majority of the Republican Party