Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-27
johnson
Derides U. S.
Sea Policy
Il Got Us Into w ars
Before, He Declares
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

WE PASSED the Neutrality III inG
eign wars Now, unless all signs
fail, we are going TO repeal or
evade it. Why?
Obviously for the reverse OF
the purpose of its passage,
namely, TO get into foreign wars.
AS this is written the Presi-
dent has not yet spoken. but the
two more strident endmen of the
Washington Minstrel Show have
spoken plenty - War Ministers
Stimson and Knox.
1t is an astonishing situation
when, with so per cent of our
people so clearly opposed TO war.
there can be such complacency
about every governmental step
that makes war inevitable.
Is il public ignorance about
what is going on, or sort OF
national fatalism- that contents
itself with believing that our
President has gathered TO him
self so many of the powers OF
government that no wish of the
people can stop him?
In travelling up and down and
around this country to get the
feel" of this intangible thing
called public opinion, one gath
ers an impression that it is
partly both
THIS is very strange even in
L this strange new world be-
cause neither ignorance nor
resignation is any part of the
American character.
When the principle of the
Neutrality Act was first sug-
gested though not urged by
b. NJ. Baruch. this column said:
something about the sea
helped TO get us into every one
of our foreign wars except the
war with Mexico"
Economic causes are respon-
sible for most wars. Our revo-
luton was partly against the
force Of the British sea power
10 dominate and exploit these
colonies--Boston Tea Party. ct
cetera.
We engaged in an undeclared
naval war with France and a
second naval war with Britain
IN protest against interference
with our shipping During the
Civil War. England came within
inches of declaring war on us
for doing what she has always
claimed the right TO do
We stopped British ship
and took off two Confederate
enemies OF the United States.
That war was averted by our
apology and restitution because
Lincoln said, One war at
time is enough
OUR WAR with Spain was
" made possible by public in
dignation over sinking the Bat
tleShip Maine in Havana Har-
Dor.
In the World War. we had as
much legal cause for fighting
England as for fighting Ger
many over interferences by both
governments with our freedom
Of the seas" The British prac-
tically blockaded our Atlantic
coast, intercepted our mails,
interfered with our commerce
and violated all our concepts of
international law. The decid-
ing difference was that German
SubmaTin interference de-
Stroyed American lives. Tho
British only destroyed American
commerce.
We said that We went 10 war
TO vindicate our freedom of the
seas"
That was a, principal ono Of
Mr.. Wilson's ID points" II was
dropped overheard and. without
explanation until later. sunk
without trace at his first contact
with the British architects of
the Treaty of Versailles. The
freedom of the seas slogan
lOOltb uN llIAO W ANON ~
is fooling us into another.
We have no freedom Of the
seas today. where British inter-
eStS are involved. You cant. for
example. write an air mail letter
10 Venezuela via Bermuda that
will not be opened and censored
and we stand for IT, Freedom
of the seas" is a phantom--an
echo of the real word, which is.
and always has been, Britannia
rules the waves"
n X. This is not even protest
". ing that. 1t is only protest
ing a second eagle-screaming
misuse of freedom OF the seas"
TO get us into war
The Neutrality Act does need
revision. but if the purpose of
the revision is TO force American
vessels through actual blockades
and 10 make war for us inevi-
table if one is Sunk-in vindica-
tion. OF a right never before
claimed by any acknowledgement
nation-then. il would be far
more fortnight now 10 present
10 Congress the issue of war
declaration and stop fooling our
people with any such legalistic
Skullduggery or Sloganeering
thor, xsstth g,,rl f.l