Evening star., 1941-09-08

significant that '''a
the Nazi gov David Lawrence.
eminent does not care to be placed
in the position of having struck the
first blow. The Berlin government
has boaSted that it will clean up all
its opponents and that it will sink
any vessels which protect the ship
ment of cargoes to Britain. So 1t
is passing strange to note that Hit
Ter does not boldly say again he will
sink anything in the waters which
the Nazis have declared under
blockade.
1t is true the United States Gov
ernment argues that no blockade Is
recognized and that even If pro-
claimed it cannot be held to be
legal under international law unless
the blockade is effective, and every
body knows that ships are slipping
through the Nazi blockade by the
hundreds.
Customarily the runners Of a
blockade do SO at their own risk
and they often risk being sunk.
Since Berlin claims the American
destroyer was passing through block
AIDED waters, 1t is curious that the
Nazis do not also assert the legal
right to sink such a vessel. It
wouldn't matter much whether the
first shot was fired by the one or
the other. AS far as international
law reasons are concerned, the Nad
could contend they were merely
attacking a blockade runner. The
United States, on the other hand,
in any suit for damages filed before
an international tribunal after the
war might well argue that the block
ade wasn't effective.
No War Seen as Result.
But all this merely means that
the Greer Incident isn't going to be
the forerunner of declaration of
state Of war by the Nazis and judg-
ing by the calm manner in which
American public opinion, as reflect
ed by members of Congress here,
has reacted there as not likely to
be any declaration of state of war
from the American side.
Back in the Spanish civil war days
there were sinkings Of vessels which
did not result in active intervention
and 1t Is not at all unlikely that
episodes of this kind will occur and
recur without forcing either nation
into general combat.
From the Nazi side, there is every
desire to keep the United States
out Of the war. Then it might be
asked why did the U-boat attack
the American destroyer? The
answer may well be that Hitler was
anxious to test out Americas posi-
ton toward a shooting war. If the
American Navy has orders to fight
back or even to shoot Nazi sub
marines on sight, that's valuable
piece Of information for the Nazi
high command to possess. There is
no other way to get it except by an
actual tryout.
Test Case.
Herr Hitler knows today that
President Roosevelt isn't bluffing
and that If any U-boats or planes
interfere with the supply lines to
American bases in Iceland or else
where there will be shooting. If, on
the other hand, Hitler had dis
covered that the President would
not risk a shooting war, then it
would have been possible for the
NaZi U-boats to be given orders to
shoot away at British cargo ships
even If conveyed by American war
ships.
The transportation of supplies
across the Atlantic is very vital
factor in the war. Nazi sinkings of
British ships have fallen to low
level. Hitler knows the American
patrol has had something to do
with the reduction of British losses.
What more natural course to pursue
than to test out the American policy
and then determine on reprisals
If any?
Another Reason.
Hitler is anxious to know what
America will do for another reason.
He is doubtless urging Japan to use
her submarines to attack American
vessels carrying cargoes to Siberia
for Russia. 1t may be that Hitler
thinks that neither the United States
nor Japan will actually go to war
but that sinkings of the vessels of
both countries will become a COM
monplace in the war zones. Possibly
the Nazi chieftain thinks that he can
get away with a policy Of sniping at
American war vessels without risk
ing actual war with the United
States.
The reason Hitler doesn't want the
United States actively in the war is
that America might grow efficient.
Strikes might cease and the brakes
which have been put on Americas
production effort through domestic
disunity might be taken OF and the
whole defense program accelerated.
Hitler has everything to lose and
nothing to gain by forcing America
into the war.
Hence the Greer incident will be
minimized by Berlin and as for the
United States it may forgive this
occurrence but it will serve warning
that a recurrence may mean declara-
ton of state of war. The effect
on Hitler may be to forego any
future sinkings, III which case the
United States, by a show of de-
termination, will again have taken
a stem to avoid q shooting war,