Evening star., 1941-10-18

grave atmOS-
phere. the Re David Lawrence.
publican party chose to vote against
arming the ships. Just ll3 Republi-
cans voted against the measure and
SO Republicans in favor of it. The
Democratic party stood 219 in favor
and q votes against.
Thus did the two major parties
line up on an issue of defense touch
ing the freedom of the seas in gen.
eral and the right OF American
merchant ships in particular to
protect themselves against wanton
attack outside the prescribed COM
bat zones.
If the proposal had been to au-
thorize American ships 10 enter
combat areas the vote might have
been different but the measure
simply covers the case OF American
ships travelling in waters that are
outside the war zones.
The Republican party's majority
evidently is betting on the posi-
bility that by the time of the No
vember, 1912, elections the war will
be over or that a public reaction
against the Presidents foreign
policy will have started by then in
such electoral waves as to give the
Republicans the benefit of the pro-
test vote.
What Will Voters Do?
But if the war goes beyond No
vember, 1912. and the Republican
party goes before the country argu-
ing that it merely differs from the
Democrats on domestic issues and
that 1t is committed to support of
defense measures and foreign
policy. then will the Nation trust
the Republican party? Or will so
many voters distruSt the Republi-
cans as in the 1910 election regard
less of the expressions of the stand
ard-bearer that he favored aid to
Britain? 1t was to no small extent
because Mr.. Willkie had behind
him a sizable isolationist group that
independent voters turned away
from him despite anything he could
say as to his own inclinations. The
belief that Republican Congress
would hamstring Mr.. Willkie or Mr..
Roosevelt became ingrained in the
minds of many independent voters
in November, 1910, notwithstanding
their admiration for Mr.. Willkie.
They Just declined TO take chance
on the Republican party.
These independents have on more
than one occasion since a year ago
found their suspicious about the
Republicans in Congress confirmed.
The latest vote on a simple issue of
standing up for American rights on
the high seas is probably much more
clean-cut than any which has pre-
ceded. On the other measure 1t
might have been contended on the
stump that the implication was in
volvement in war, but on the arming
OF merchantmen the issue can as
readily be declared to be simple
defense.
When 113 members of Congress,
including Representative Joseph
Martin Of Massachusetts,, however,
openly vote to deprive an American
ship of its right to retaliate against
unprovoked attacks, it is apparent
that there is some kind of political
reasoning back Of the move. It is,
therefore, assumed here that the
Republicans are expecting the same
kind of reversal in public opinion
once America enters the war that
occurred in November, 1918, and
also in November, 1920, when erst-
while isolationists carried the elec-
tons.
May Be Taking Long Chance.
There is another long chance
which the Republicans may be TAX
ing. 1t is that if America enters
the war between now and the No.
vember, 1912, elections, there will be
plenty Of opportunity for the Re-
publican members of the House to
register themselves in favor of war,
especially if the circumstances are
such that American public opinion
becomes plainly for it. Such a con-
tingency might arise if Hitler makes
an attack on American forces in
Iceland or if Japan makes some
hostile move in the Pacific.
But even if the Republicans get
the chance to square themselves on
the war issue, if the tide turns dis
tinctly in favor of war, the chances
are they will have lost tremendous
number Of independent votes. any
way. For the majority of the Re-
publicans have so consistently op-
posed the administration foreign
policy that it will be difficult for the
party to offer itself persuasively as
Wholehearted instrumentality able
to carry out the policies already
established as those of our Govern
ment in foreign affairs.
Even Representative Hamilton
Fish, Republican isolationist, saw
the political danger in the issues
as presented to the House on arming
merchant ships and he voted with
the SO other Republicans in favor
of it.
When the measure comes back
from the Senate it will have been
amended to go much further
doubtless to permit American ships
TO enter any area not effectively
blockaded-and the Republicans in
the House will have a chance to re-
verse themselves, especially if events
between now and that time indi-
cate that public opinion disapproves