Evening star., 1941-03-28

gime. But so
anxious is Amer DAVID Lawrence.
lea to show to the whole world her
sympathy and to give moral support
to any government, large or small,
which lines up against the NazlS
that there is no standing on cere-
mony or protocol here nowadays.
The United States Government
has adopted in fact the position that
genuine neutrality today means as
sistance to the victims of aggression
because once an aggressor is loose
In the world there can be no secur-
ity for the neutrals who refrain from
participation in the military con-
f1ict.
Since Yugoslavia under the new
government refuses to accept NaZl
domination her attitude is in line
with the new conception of neutral
ity evolved by America, the funda-
mental doctrine of which is not to
worry about what the belligerents
think are or are not legalistic neutral
rights. but to consider neutrality
SYNONYMOUS with self-defenSe as
against aggressors active or poten-
tial.
What America really has done in
international policy in recent weeks
Is to implement the Kellogg BRAND
treaties with an explicit penalty.
This penalty is applied against
aggressors who resort to war as an
instrument of national policy
against free nations For many years
the Kellogg-Briand treaties de-
nouncing war carried moral obli-
cation or implication that the sig
natories would together rise up
against the aggressor states, but
there was no specific military clauses
to that effect in those treaties nor
was there any punitive course of
action mapped out against the ag-
gresSor nations.
Sequel to Kellogg Pact.
Today the United States is taking
the step which may be regarded as
the logical sequel to the Kellogg
BRAND treaties that outlaw war. 1t
is to announce to the world that ma
terials of war. money and moral
support will be forthcoming to any
Nation which comes to the aid of
the countries which are the victims
of aggression.
America by this policy is coming
to the aid of China and is in pro-
cess of aiding Britain and Greece
already. Yugoslavia becomes the
logical beneficiary of the policy as
would Turkey If she entered the
war or needed support in any dip
lon1atic conflict with the NaztS. This
policy does not mean a meddling in
the internal affairs of any other
country or the extension of Amer
ica's political system to Europe or
Asia. 1t is not, as the Nazis inti-
mate, a refusal to allow a European
nation to run European affairs as
the Nazis mistakenly imply that the
Monroe Doctrine gives the United
States power over Central and South
American affairs.
The difference, of course, is that
the United States does not seek 10
control the 20 republics of this hem
isphere either as to their form of
government or as to their indie
pendence in handling of external
affairs. The Nszi regime, on the
other hand, has announced that all
small nations must consult Berlin
on foreign policy and bow to the will
OF the Nazis. Already in occupied
France, the conquerors are not con-
tent to keep the country in military
subJection, but they are seeking to
impose their theology on the people
by brute force
BOlSterS Small Nations.
The new neutrality is based on
q principle that knows no boun-
darles or spheres of influence. It is
worldwide. Every small nation
hereafter can take courage from the
fact that the material and moral
resources Of the United States are
available to the people who wish to
remain free. 1t is an action in sup
port of all free peoples irrespective
OF where they live in the world.
Will this policy mean war? 1t is !
not construed as war by the makers
OF the policy though the aggreSSor
states might so consider it. Yet it
Is an academic matter whether what
the aggressors may say of American
neutrality for 1t is a well known
rule of equity that whoever comes
into any court whether it be the |
court of public opinion or any other
court must come with clean hands.
The present neutrality policy of
the United States is an evolution
toward world stability. This same
policy if announced along with the
Kellogg BRAND treaties might have
prevented the second world war by
serving notice on all potential ag-
gressors that the might Of the
United States must be counted upon
to be mobilized not in actual con-
f1ict with the aggressor, but in un-
stinted aid to the victims of the
~ltlaW's power. Maybe when this
war Is over Americas neutrality pol
Icy will be adopted as the real basis
for the maintenance of world peace
for a long time to come.
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