The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-05-26

he was boosted into his military
affairs Craftsmanship. Senator
Clark's as much so as Senator
Reynolds.
1t isn't surprising that Senator
Claude Pepper Of Florida agreed
with 'em as to the West Indies;
he's out-and-out for intervention.
Senator James E. Murray Of Mon
lana also agreed. He's from
pretty isolationistic state; his as
sociate solon is Senator Burton X.
Wheeler. and is HE an isolation
list! Still, Jim Murray hasn't been
as vehement as Burt Wheeler
So Claude Peppers pro-seizure
attitude as to those islands was
only what might have been expect
ed. and Jim Murray's isn't any
thing TO wonder about.
Champ Clark's and Bob Rey-
nolds' disclosure that they, too,
were pro seizureites, however,
came as bit Of shock to some
of their Capitol Hill colleagues. To
be sure, neither Champ nor Bob
takes back any of his previous ad-
verse criticisms of President
Roosevelt's foreign policies. They
have been ardently in favor,
though, all along. of our western
hemispherically defensive activi-
ties. And the Vichy governments
rapid trend in the direction OF COL
alteration with the Axis leads 'em
to believe that Frances colonial
possessions generally are due to be
Germanized shortly.
France has a mandate, for In.
stance, over far-off Syria, and out.
right owns still farther-or MAZDA.
gascar and Indo-China.
Too Close for Comfort
Such outposts are so distant that
Champ and Bob don't deem it any
Of our western hemispherical busi-
ness what happens to 'em. But
Islands like Martinique and Guade-
loupe. right in our own Caribbean
dooryard, are different. Champ and
Bob concur that, for Germany to
acquire THEM, not only would
punch a hole in our Monroe Doc
trine; German footholds on 'em
would be a serious military dan
ger to Uncle Samuel.
Therefore, they feel that our
seizure Of 'em wouldn't be an act
Of war Intervention, but part of
our western hemispherically de-
fensive program.
A modification of the ideas sug-
gested, to the effect that the
United States shouldn't pull off the
seizure independently, but that all
the new world republics should do
it jointly. 1t would amount to
much the same thing either way.
AS a matter Of fact, it's difficult
to see how that particular seizure
could involve us in any immediate
armed hostilities. It would make
France and. undoubtedly. the
whole Axis boiling mad, of course,
but they couldn't do much about it.
Local French authorities, plus such
German tourists" as they may
have among 'em, might put up a
little resistance, but not enough to
signify.
Senator Josh Lee Of Oklahoma,
though, doesn't want US to stop
with the French West Indies. He
wants us to grab Dakar, either by
ourselves or in partnership with
Britain. He didn't mention Portu-
gals Azores and Cape Verde is
lands, but If we took Dakar, these
isles almost automatically would
have to be included.
Before this war started, l doubt
II the average American ever had
heard Of Dakar. / had, because,
when was in the newspaper busi-
ness in Argentina, all our dis
patches from London had to come
by way of cable station there.
It's at the extreme edge OF
Africa's hump into the Atlantic, in
French African territory. It's a
good deal nearer, across the ocean,
to South Americas easterly hump
than we are. And unquestionably
it's vitality strategic base for con-
troll, along a line drawn from
Dakar itself to BraziPs Pernam-
buco, Of the whole South Atlantic,
and protection Of the South Amer
lcan east coast. The Azores and
Cape Verdes, off shore, are COM
Elementary to Dakar.
Dakar No Cinch