Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-28
Time for Action

After the Presidents notable ad-
dress to the Nation last night, there
is nothing more that he can say. The
function of words has been ex-
hausted. Our hope for the future
now lies in bold and determined &C
ton, and if this is not forthcoming
the bravest phrases will prove to be
the essence of futility.
1t is difficult to see how there can
be any dissent from Mr.. Roosevelt's
portrayal of the military threat to
us which accompanies Hitler's des-
perate bid for control of the Atlantic
seaways. And there will be few to
dispute the accuracy Of his analysis
OF the economic consequences for us
of Nazi victory. If that catastrophe
should come to pass, our Wanted
social gains would vanish overnight,
and then, indeed, would the whole
fabric of working life as we know it
be mangled and crippled
We will be safe, or relatively safe.
only so long as the forces of agrees
sion are prevented from breaking
out onto the open seas, and it was to
the problem of maintaining British
and American supremacy at sea that
the President primarily addressed
himself.
At this time, he said, the rate of
Nazi sinkings of merchant ships is
more than twice the combined Brit
ish and American output of mer-
chant ships today. This must be
stopped, or the war is lost. The
President gave unqualified assurance
that it will be stopped, but little light
was shed upon the precise plan of
action which he has in mind.
Broadly speaking. however, Mr.
Roosevelt seems to have determined
upon three approaches Difficulties
are present all along the way but
they can be overcome if the will to
overcome them is strong
The first approach consists of
reaSSertion of the ancient American
doctrine of freedom of the seas" To
all intents and purposes that doc
trine was abandoned when we
adopted the 1889 Neutrality Act,
which forbids American ships to
trade with belligerent or to enter
combat zones, and it remains to be
seen how the President will reconcile
the existence Of this statute with the
position he took last night.
The second and perhaps the most
important approach involves the
problem Of protecting shipments of
war supplies from enemy attack.
From the Presidents pointed refer
ence to the present rate of sinkings,
it il clear that this phase of the bat
tie is being lost as of today. 1t must
be assumed that the American pa
troll system now in effect Is made
quate, and this assumption is borne
out by Mr.. Roosevelt's significant
statement that additional measures
to insure delivery of war materials
are being studied and will be put
into effect as needed. The President
did not say, and there is no way of
determining, what these additional
measures may be. Once again, 1t is
necessary to await developments.
Thirdly, the President demanded
that there must be an end to strikes
and all other industrial disputes
which interfere with the production
of war materials and the building of
ships to carry them. Cancellation
and mediation facilities, he said,
must be used promptly and without
stoppage of work. To a people grave
ly concerned by the spectacle of one
defense strike after another in this
time of great peril, there is bright
ray of hope in Mr.. Roosevelt's firm
declaration that the Government is
determined to use all of its power"
to prevent interference with the pro-
duction of materials essential to our
Nations security.
1t is idle to suppose that these
things can be easily achieved. Presi-
dent Roosevelt, in addition to the
will to act, must have the power to
implement his program, and that
may come in part from his proclama-
ton of a full national emergency.
But the President must look beyond
proclamations and speeches to the
real source of his power, which lies
with the people of the country. 1t
is to them that he has appealed in
a magnificent declaration of the
principles for which a free people
stand and from which a free people
cannot be deferred.
And it is for them to decide. How.
ever hard and costly the way to vic.
tory, 1t is easier and cheaper by far