Evening star., 1941-09-15

and they supported by large ma.
jorities q succession Of steps to
protect those interests. OF these,
the raising Of the embargo Of,
supplies to Britain. the Selective
Service Act, the lend-lease bill
and the occupation Of Iceland on
invitation Of the Icelandic gov
ernment were the high spots. But
these acts, like the Neutrality
Act. Immediately had interna-
tional results; al Of them In
volved the will Of the NaA gov
ernment.
The Nad government had to
decide whether to intervene to
prevent these acts from being
effective, and whether to risk war
with the United States. Inter-
national law never entered into
the picture. The Nazi war plan
goes on the assumption that .
nation that completely disregards
all inhibitions and strikes at Its
own pleasure and in its own time
will always have the advantage.
Neutrality or non-neutrality,
isolation or non-isolation are
judged by whether they are useful
or harmful to the Nazis. Holland
was neutral and isolationist, but
Dutch neutrality and isolation did
not serve Nazi interests 80 they
were violated. American isola-
ton, at this stage Of the game,
would be useful to the Nazis 50
the arguments for it are put
into the mouths OF the Lind
berghs.
But for us the question be-
comes: Shall we abandon our
policy because the Germans don't
accept 1t and are intervening
against 1t with armed force?
Again, we cannot make that de-
cision as though 1t were purely
q domestic matter, for the aban-
donment OF the policy would be
an even more cataclysmic act
than to continue it.
Were 1t abandoned the pro-
American government of Church.
Ill would fall, the resistance to
Hitler Of the European peoples
be broken, and in . few months
time We would face Hitler alone,
with all the advantages Of man.
power and resources and arms
on his side. and without an ally
in the world.
But failure to see the policy
through would also have terrific
internal repercussions. For while
1t Is true that domestic policy
does not always influence for
eign policy, the reverse is never
true. Failure to zee the present
policy through would leave the
Roosevelt government without
authority. the country divided,
and the nation open to every
Fascist intrigue that Ia rife. And
at no future time could We face
Hitler again under Is favorable
circumstances.
Seeing the policy through
means, right now. q naval war-
whether 1t is called war or some.
thing else. It il unavoidable un-
less ws wish 10. set our whole
future afloat.
But We are engaged in . limited
war. confined 10 the seas, under
seriously adverse conditions.
First. We still leave the initiative
to Hitler. Second, though q lin
tied war Is on, but not declared
as war. every fifth columnist and
defeatist in the country can con.
tinue to sabotage the defense ef.
fort, attempt to break down mo-
rale and allow himself to be q
sounding board for DR.. ooebbels.
The preposterous publicity
stunt against the Governments
foreign policy, with the motion
picture industry as scapegoat
can continue, paid for BY the
taxpayers, With . phony Senate
committee conducting an in
vestigation," in which four Of
the five members have pretadged
the case and are acting ~ prose-
cutors, witness, judge, with the
public aS audience. Mr. Lindbereh
can continue to talk what would
be, were war declared. high trea-
son.
A dictatorship like Hitler's can
wage undeclared war, even linn
tied wars, for 1t can move any.