Evening star., 1941-07-06
Sees Two Victories
Won by President
By OUen L. Scott.


Yet, of the nations of major rank
which have faced threats from Hitler,
Mussollni and Matsuoka-other than
China-the United States is the one
Nation that has baked at attempted
appeasement.
Mr.. Roosevelt's opponents charge him
with counting war. They insist that
this Nation should 60 out of its way
to make deal with Hitler and Mat
suoka. They insist that Britain is done
for and that there is nothing to do
but accept the new order" and to pre-
pare the United States to play second
hddle In the world. Their argument is
that otherwise somebody is going to get
hurt.
However, the United States is not at
war. The United States has not sur
rendered and has not bowed to the
threats of the group of conquering die
tators. Nations which did deal with the
dictators are either at war or are con-
| quered.
The truth appears to be that Presi-
dent Roosevelt, by his policy of nom
appeasement, has won two major VIC
tories for the United States and Britain.
For one thing, the President forced
| the Germans to turn to the east and
thereby to give both the United States
and Britain more time in which to pre-
pare for any assault that may later de-
velop in their direction.
For a second thing, the President
forced the japanese to swallow defeat
IN their effort to intimidate the Dutch
in the South Pacific and he also forced
| the Japanese to face the alternative of
strangulation through pressure from
Russia and the United States or some
check to japanese ambition.
These are major accomplishments and
have been achieved without bloodshed.
Two main contentious have been
made by those who opposed President
Roosevelts policy OF non-appeasement
and who advocated a policy of at
tempted cooperation with the dlctators.
Those contentious are:
First, that if the United States would
| Just induce the British to stop their
night and to make deal with Hitler. the
German armies could then be turned
eastward to get entangled in struggle
| with Russia that might result IN destruc-
| ton OF both Stain and Hitler.
Second, that if the United States would
step aside and allow the japanese to grab
| the riches of the South Pacific area it
| would make unnecessary the mainte-
nance of a large naval force in the Pa
clflc and still would leave the japanese
with no alternative but to sell the rubber
and tin and other resources of that area
to the United States, just as the British
and Dutch now are doing
As to the first of those contentious
| Hitler now is engaged in his struggle
| with Stain. He says he was forced into
| this struggle because he did not dare
| make an all-out assault on the British
until he had removed any possible threat
| from the east. The reason he did not
dare to make this assault on the British
| prior to an attack on Russia was that
the United States made clear its determi-
nation to support Britain.
! If Hitler now becomes begged down in
! Russia it will be due. not to any theory
! of appeasement on the part of the United
/ States but to firm policy by the United
! States of refusing to be intimidated. If
I Hitler does not become begged down
| in Russia and makes a quick conquest
| leaving him free to turn his attention
| to Britain, the group favoring appease
| ment no longer will be able to argue that
| the correct American policy is to try to
! divert Hitlers attention to Russia. Rus
sia won't be there as an independent
! nation.
AS to the second contention, Japan
now has her bluff called by the Dutch.
| The japanese had demanded control
over some of the basic resources of the
Dutch East Indies. Japan threatened
dire consequences If her demands were
not met. The Dutch, with tacit backing
| OF the United States and Britain, turned
a cold shoulder to the japanese threats.
Faced with the alternative of trading
| with the Dutch East Indies on the same
terms that other nations trade, or Of try
ing to conquer that rich territory, Japan
| has hesitated. The reason she hesltated
is that American bombing planes in the
hands of the Dutch can outmatch the
air strength the Japanese could send
against them at this time. The reason
also is that an American naval force of
great strength remains in the Pacific IN
| a position to move westward when the
Japanese Navy moves south.
AS a result, the supplies of rubber and
tin on which the United States is vitally
deuendent. remain in the hands OF
friendly power and are readily accessible
to this country. In the hands of Japan
they could be used as strong bargaining
weapon in any dealings with the United
States.
President Roosevelt in shaping Ameri-
can foreign policy, must deal with facts
and not with theories. He must meet
the threats of those nations which are
open and avoWed enemies of the United
States Many in Congress and in the
country, who are sideline coaches, have
insisted that the way to meet threats is
to bow before them.
However, the President has taken his
line of firmness. He has met threats
from this country's enemies with threats
of his own He has refused to bargain
with or to bow before any other nation,
| no matter how big its army or how loud
its talk. And today the United States is
! farther away from war than it was little
more than two weeks ago. Instead OF
being in war, this country has impressive
victories to show, and those victories
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