Evening star., 1941-04-20
Foresees Active War
Role for America
By Ot1eT L. Scott.

L
men who are shaping American policy
that shooting by American warships
and American airplanes must soon
start. Only the most cautious officials
pretend otherwise, and then only in
addressing the public.
What rev seems almost certain may
not be called war in name. The fact is
that it very probably will involve the
use OF force, by whatever name. The
fiction OF American neutrality" by
which American ships are barred even
from the ports OF so vitalIy important
a neighbor as Canada, already Is near
discard.
The reason shooting seems 10 near
| Is this:
Great Britain Is hard pressed She
cannot 80 on much longer attempting
almost alone to fight on fronts all over
the world while besiesed at home. The
British are spread very thin on the
seas, in the air, and on land outside
OF England herself and they are nearing
critical situation within the island,
because Of bombings and dif1iculty OF
supply.
The United States Is committed to
aid OF Britain. This commitment Is
formal, based upon the national con-
would endsnger the peace and safety
Of America. Yet that defeat Is within
sight. Aid that has been promised is
needed urgently and Immediately. Con-
sequently, this issue Is posed for deci-
sion:
Should the United States sit on the
sidelinss and watch the British go down
to defeat. in the expectation later Of
making q deal with Hitler. .MussoIini-
Matsuoka so that . dsht can be avoided
or should the United States jump into
the fray with its powerful Navy and its
far-from- negligible sir force In q real
effort to save Britain while there still
is time?
President Roosevelt, by his state
ments anc his actions, Is committed
against appeasement. Congress, by its
approval Of lend-lease and its acceptance
OF White House actions, Is committed
against appeasement. Yet appeasement
sentiment in the Nation is far from
negligible and Is restraining the Presi-
dent at this time.
The result Is that the position of the
United States today is positively en-
barrassing The reasons are these:
!. 1t was American urging and pro-
misses Of American support that induced
Greece and Yugoslavia TO resist Hitler
and encouraged Britain to throw an
expeditionary force into Greece After
helping t.. involve these nations in their
latest adventure, the United States did
little but express shock at the result
2. It Is because Of the hope and ex-
pectation of real American aid-pro-
missed by emissaries Of every kind-that
the British have held out so resolutely.
Now the United States has to make up
its mind whether really TO give that aid,
regardless Of consequences. But it Is
hesitatine.
In other words the United States pro-
fesses TO have 4 vital stake in the out
come of this war. Yet the country hesi-
tates to fight for that stake. 1t still
hopes and expects that the British
Empire and the Greeks will do all Of
the fighting that has to be done, 30
there viii need to be no risks for
America. All Of the time it is recognized
that II Germany wins, Hitler will have
a claim on real estate In Canada, in
Greenland. in the Caribbean on the
mainland Of South America and next
door to vital American interests In the
Far East
This situation probably cannot con-
tlnue. 1t causes many officials to expect
that incidents" must soon occur to
produce a change.
Some inside betting Is that there will
be an incident" or two even before the
end Of April. Others take the vivew that
May is more likely to be a month of
action and decision. How or where?
The answer is this: We say that the
Western Hemisphere Is ours. That
hemisphere extends to a point lust
west of Iceland. Hitler says his SUBJ
marines and raiders viii sink all ships
moving east Of Greenland. Here is a
challenge to the United States.
American troops and American naval
vessels are moving to Greenland. What if
German submarine should show up and
should shoot or be shot at? Also,
American ships are carrying goods
around Africa into the Indian Ocean.
German raiders Ars Sperating In that
region and might readily sink Ameri-
can boats exercising their rights in
neutral waters
| This Nation can simply make up its
mind, or the President can make I'D
his mind, that the time has come to
give the United States Navy the job of
making sure that merchant shipping
goes safely through the hemisphere
to Iceland or to neutral Ireland. Then
Hitler will act at his own risk.
Certainly, the present anomalous
position of the United States-committed
by its acts to enmity toward Hitler and
pledged to give aid to Britain and her
Allies. yet actually sitting on the side
lines-csnnot continue. Either the at
titude toward the conquerins combina-
ton Of djctators must change from one
OF enmtty to one Of cooperation, or
something has to happen.
II the happening calls for use of
force, the extent of that force will be far
from negligible.
This country, protected by the British
Navy, has made great strides toward
preparedness during the past year. 1t
riog has an ARMY In the making A NAVY