Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-27
Churchill
Speech Not
Defini+ive
Like Atlantic Charter.
It's Idealistic
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

EVOU will perhaps have no.
L ticed," said Mr.. Winston
Churchill in his radio report on
the Atlantic Charter, "that the
President Of the United States
and the British representatives
have jointly pledged their
countries TO the final destruc-
ton of Nazi tyranny"
Maybe they did. but the At
lantic Charter didn't do it in
so many words. 1t expressed
high minded hopes and prin-
ciples to be applied TO the world
when" the Nazi tyranny is
destroyed-which is a very diff
ferent matter.
There is the further question
discussed here earlier. whether
President of the United
States, acting alone. can pledge
this country to engage in land
war in Europe. The only out
spoken pledges we have heard
about that are those of the
President that we will not send
land armies TO Europe.
In this connection il should
not be forgotten that leading
British military men, including
the prime minister himself. have
expressed an opinion that Hit
Ter cannot be conquered on Eu-
-ropeap soil without a new Amer
lean Expeditionary Force. Every
principal American authority
agrees with that.
THERE are some qualifica-
tionS 10 those opinions.
They do not mean that Hitler
cannot be blocked by sea and
air and so frustrated that the
areas of his. threats are con-
Siderably reduced. Neither do
they mean that he, and With
him the NaZi Party, could not
be overthrow by internal
stresses and explosions. not
alone in Germany. but in the
conquered countries, or at least
that the NaziS could be so
Softened up by such events that
land operations from the West
would be possible.
That is a condition impossible
10 predict. Such operations are
not possible now. The worst
mistake we could make is too
-ruCh wIShfut- thinking with
possible effect of ever "pledg-
ing our country 10 detectives
too remote from our own proper
interests and too far in the fog
OF the future 10 predict.
Another curious passage in
this Churchill speech is his
warning 10 Japan that, il she
does not come 10 an accord with
US on n settlement Of far east
ern questions. I'VE tthe British
shall. of course. range ourselves
unheSitatingly on the side Of the
United States"
NOR these kind assurances,
L much thanks. but when did
the growing threat of this par
ticularly Senseless far eastern
shindy become so clearly our
war that an offer of British as
sistance can be made as an act
of grace and loyalty 10 friend
at bay rather than one of
mutual. and / may say imperial,
interest
Our stake in the Far East
which might be menaced by
Japan is 10 that Of Great Brit,
ain AS molehill 10 a mountain.
We got so deeply involved. as
many believe, more to protect
her interest than our own. Now
II seems a little presumptuous
for Britain to assure Uncle Sam
that, If he really gets his whis-
kers in this wringer, John Bull
will be on his side.
, With what? Not much more
than the use of Singapore as
naval base for our feet 10 pro-
tect British possessions.
1t is probably wrong 10 criti-
CHE a great British GRAFTON in
this war Of words and nerves.
But it is not wrong TO hope that
we can APPROACH this problem
with clear eyes, unsealed 10 our
own interests. and to remember
the outstanding lesson of all
history:
There Is no aItrulsm among
nations, especially those at war"
They always do and they al
ways should protect first, last
and all the time. the lives and
homes of their own people. All
honor TO Churchill for doing
that well-but who is doing it
for us?
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