Evening star., 1941-02-14
Minnesota Senator,
Hitting Isolationism,
BacksLease-Lend Bill
Republican in Radio
Talk, Calls Such q
Policy Impractical
By GOULD LINCOLN.

Declaring that Il am squarely op-
posed to an isolationist policy" Sem
ator Ball Republican, of Minnesota
announced in radio address last
night he intended to vote for the
lease-lend bill.
Coming from a section of the
country which has been considered
strongly pro-isolationist, Senator
Balls statement Is sensational.
There are many important ques-
tions involved in the lease-lend bill" :"
said Senator Ball. But the one
fundamental issue, as I see it, is the
direction which our foreign policy
shall take Shall this Nation turn
back to a strictly isolationist policy?
Or shall we abandon that policy for
good. and take our place as a top
ranking world power prepared to
play our full part in world affairs
and assume our share Of the re-
sponsibility for achieving and main
tanning world stability and peace?
Says Defeat Means IsOlatiOnism.
"If this bill is defeated, then I be-
heve Congress will have made 1t
imperative that we turn back to a
strictly isolationist foreign policy.
If it is passed, I believe that we shall
have turned our backs on that policy
for good and that we should accept
the full implications of such a course
On that fundamental issue my posi-
ton is this:
II believe that the United States
should use the full force of its eco
nomic and political influence, and its
military might if that becomes i'm
perative, to bring about, first, the
kind of world in which this Nation
will have maximum security and op-
portunity for economic and social
progress for its people, and, second,
the kind of world in which all ma
tions and all peoples can live to-
gether in peace.
IN other words, I am squarely
opposed to an isolationiSt policy.
The facts Of the world today con-
vince me that it is untenable and
Impractical"
Senator Ball argued that under
modern conditions of transportation
and information it is impossible Tor
this country to isolate itself.
Our Policy Has Changed.
"One of the reasons our people
have been and are confused about
the direction of our foreign policy
should take" he continued, is be-
cause we have more or less en-
braced an iSolationist policy in
times of comparative world peace,
and we have abandoned it when
ever wars elsewhere in the world
threatened our vital interests or
security.
LAS a result, our wars have al
ways caught us unprepared, just
as this conflict in Europe today
has caught us unprepared, woefully
unprepared Let's abandon isola-
ton for good this time and resolve
now not to try to crawl back into
our shell when the present con-
fiict is over And the first step
In that direction should be the
welding of every ounce of political
ana economic IIlllutLICc NC IdI4 W
see that the peace terms following
this war carry some hope of perna-
nency"
He took a position against having
this country attempt to bring about
a negotiated peace now on the
ground that Hitler could not be
trusted,
Senator Ball fatty declared his
disbelief in the charge that President
Roosevelt is trying to get this coun-
try into war.
II refuse to believe that the Presi-
dents solemn promise to the Amer
ican people in this hour of crisis is
a deliberate lie" he said Il ques-
tion the intellectual stability of those
whose bitterness leads them to make
such an assumption"
Senator Ball enumerated num-
ber Of amendments he would like to
see placed in the lease-lend bill,
among them a bipartisan supreme
defense council.