Evening star., 1941-07-07

asks the question whether the
United States should or should not
so to war was a good deal like ask
ing people whether they were for
or against sin.
But ii would be mistake to
ignore the precise nature of these
polls just the same. Time and again
questions have been asked such as
would you favor entering the war
If Britain collapsed?" and the re-
suit is far different from that poll
In which the question is confirmed
to the query, Would you favor
entering the War?' 1t is plain that
where the national defense enters
the picture and the question relates
directly to our national safety the
percentage which favor using force
to maintain security always rises.
If the President studied these
numerous polls he would find some
thing else in them rather significant.
The people do not respond to alb
stractions as we'll as they do to
concrete situations. Thus while the
present generation has been taught
by the history books, and by various
CynlCS who like to miSrepreSent our
attitude toward the first World War,
to believe that the United States
went to war in 1917 ito make the
Fo
not correct. Anybody who takes the
trouble to read the Congressional
Record of the debate on the night
in April, 1917, when the war resolu-
ton was discussed, will find strong
undercurrent of sentiment in favor
of our entry into the war only be-
cause American rights had been
violated. The late President Hard
ing, who was then a Senator, took
time to make a speech specifically
stating that he was casting his war
vote not for the cause of democracy
rs such but because American
rights on the high seas had been
fagrantly violated.
Lesson of Value.
The lesson in that experience is
still of value. American opinion /
reacts unfaVorably to war today Just |
as did British opinion before Munich |
and for a long time thereafter. |
Democratic peoples do not like war
and it doesn't take any polls to prove |
II. What the issue really comes to be !
today is whether the rights of the .
United States on the high seas and /
the most precious of all rightS-the /
right to live in ones territory with |.
out mOleStatlOn-is about to be vio- |
lated by the Nazi war machine after /
1t gets through with various nations /
of Europe.
Just now the American people |
have lulled themselves into a feel |
Ing of security because they think |
Hitler will exhaust himself in Russia. |
This is the wishful thinking that |
other nations of Europe have in |
dulged themselves. 1t never, for in |
stance, was believed that Hitler would .
venture to take on Russia. If by the |
end of this summer, as the military |
experts believe, Hitler has gained |
his obiective-the capture of the re-
sources of the rich Ukraine-he will
have fortified himself against the
effects of long blockade.
Any poll taken now doubtless will
show a different attitude toward our
entry into war than may be the case
when Russia is out of the way in
the autumn or sooner and when
the question of an invasion of |
Britain recurS.
But there's another aspect of the
public opinion polls. 1t is unques-
ttonably a larger and larger vote
against war which the administra-
ton itself is helping to pile up, both
by It's erratiC tax policies and its in
sistence on letting class-conscious
New Dealers manage the war pro-
gram. The appointment of Secre-
tary 1ckes as fuel administrator was
a blunder Here is a symbol of the
forces of hate and diScord in
America and it is amazing that Mr..
Roosevelt, who is asking others to