Evening star., 1941-06-07

VI lIiC fAlIlCl l.
can Govern- 81
ments neglect. David Lawrence
To plant a story that peace is under
way or that the war Is shortly TO
end is a simple thing nowadays
when there are so many free chan
nels through which that sort OF
information can be transmitted.
Mr.. Roosevelt was right when
he said it was an interesting COIN
cidence that instructions from the
Nazi propaganda bureau, which he
apparently had obtained through
secret channels, were given, to dis
tribute peace rumors at the same
time that the American press re-
ported on the same thing from
different places. Thus, about
the same time that Ambassador
Winant left London, Capitol Hill
hllzzed with rumors about peace
negotiations.
II is the obvious aim of the Nazis
to give the impression that the war
will soon be over and that there Is
not much use for America to exert
herself in an all-out defense effort.
II Hitler could stop the war now
and cash in on his gains he would
be selling at the height of his mar
ket. Every month that the war goes
on depreciates the Hitler stock.
Naturally the NaZis would welcome
q peace move and if they can get
one started through the United
States, it would present double
advantage of slowing up American
production and breaking down the
morale of Britain, where anything
that seems to make American aid
more distant or unlikely is plainly
discouraging.
Disliked Interview.
Mr.. Roosevelt evidently didn't
like the interview with Hitler
cabled by John Cudahy, former
United States Ambassador to Bel
GUM. Mr.. Cudahys. duties as
journalist are not deplored by Of
ficialdom but the fact that Hitler's
viewpoint is printed without being
debunked is what concerns the
President most.
This is a war of nerves and of
propaganda battles and yet the
United States has no system of
distributing its viewpoint in foreign
countries. The Nazis make daily
use of the press and the radio to
broadcast certain significant COM
ments which help to color world
opinion on the progress of the war.
The United States relies on oc-
casienal speeches of the President,
statements by the Secretary of
State and informal comments in
press conferences by officials. But
there is no concerted attempt to
let the people of Europe, includ-
ing the peoples of the subjugated
countries, know that America has
determined to exert maXium
strength and to give maximum aid
to the democracies fighting Hitler
rule.
The speeches and statements Of
isolationistS who are opposing the
Presidents policies are exaggerated
abroad to give the impression that
the people of the United States are
not united when, as a matter of fact,
aid to Britain as principle and
policy is not disputed by anybody
prominent in the Congress. 1t Is
on the issue of whether this aid
should take the form of active par
ticipation in the war that opinions
differ, and if Hitler should commit
any overt act hostile to Americas
inerests even this minority would
ulSSOlNC ONCIDlSllIs
Diplomacy Being Used.
At the moment the American Gov
ernment is using its diplomacy to
prevent American participation in
the war Hitler may furnish the
provocation by forcing France into
hostility against the United States.
If this comes, then Dakar. which Is
in the French Empire in Africa, and
Martinique, which lies close to the
Panama Canal, become points of
strategic necessity for America, ac-
cording to our military and naval
experts. 1t would not be surprising
If the Vichy government, prodded
as it is by Berlin, may find itself the
innocent victim of the first military
or naval measures taken by the
United States to protect Western
Hemisphere interests. 1t will be
important then for the people of this
hemisphere and Europe to under
stand that the Vichy government
was really instigated by Berlin in
such a clash. 1t is in preparation
for such an eventuality that the
Vichy government is being warned
that 1t must not allow its Atlantic
ports or colonial ports on the At
lantic Ocean to be used as base
for possible operations against the
United States. If the Vichy Off
cisls plead that they are helpless
against German pressure, then they
open the way for the American
Government to take measures Of
protection. Neutrality today is a
realistic policy of self-protection,
and this takes the form of seizing
or occupying any, outlying bases
which COULD possibly be used for
airbombing by a potential enemy.
This is not merely national policy
for most alert nations in a turbulent
world but wise military strategy. The
motto of the military man is that
"it Is always better to be safe than
sorry"