Evening star., 1941-07-09

#AdM1k@ A2aIa
Army and Navy
can dispatc David Lawrence.
forces anywhere within the zone he
considers essential to our national
defense. He does not have to ask
Congress for specific authority
What constitutes the proper zone
of defense may produce debate and
differences OF opinion in Congress
but when military and naval advis-
ers tell the President what they
think is the defense area he is in
duty bound to respect such advice
Doubtless Mr.. Roosevelt has forti-
fed himself with formal opinions
from the chief of staff of the Army
and the chief of naval operations,
telling him that in modern war
fare with sudden and unheralded
attacks now a commonplace in a
world threatened by aggressors, the
United States must consider the
occupation of Iceland absolutely
necessary as a precaution.
Easy for President.
This advice once given makes the
rest very easy for the President
He merely has to keep Congress
informed constantly and assume the
legislative body is in accord. If it
isn't, 1t can pass a resolution of
disapproval at any time. But &C
tually no opponent of the Presi-
dents policy can prove as yet that
the occupation of areas necessary
to our defense constitutes an act of
aggression or even an act of of
fenSlve war on our part. If the
NazlS, for instance, wish. they can
disregard the steps that have been
taken. Once, however, they launch
any attack on American forces
occupying Iceland the initiative
Will have been taken by the Hitler
forces in So-called shooting war.
In that event the President would
have no difficulty in getting full
authorization from Congress to
recognize the existence of a state
of war as between the United States
and Germany.
Such a development would mean
that Mr.. Roosevelt would be carry
ing out his pledge OF the campaign
OF 1910 in which he promised not
to engage in war unless American
interests were attacked.
The occupation of Iceland. there
fore, puts the Axis powers in a tight
spot. They have seemed up to now
unwilling to force the United States
into active intervention. If they
attack American forces in Iceland
now, 1t will be proof that they really
have designs on the American
hemisphere though their claim
might we'll be that they are merely
extending the zone of their block
ade against Britain.
Interests Would Clash.
The two principleS-self- defense
for the United States and her in
terests and protective defense by the
Nazis in their blockade operations
would clash. Under such circum-
stances, the United States. which
had no part in the initiation of the
present war, could claim before the
court Of world opinion that the
record of aggression on Hitler's
part justif1es the military assump-
tion that once Britain is conquered
Iceland would be used as a jumping
off place for Nazi bombers and
naval vessels.
BY careful maneuvering Mr..
Roosevelt has avoided the climax
of which his opposition has been
accusing him, namely, that he is
anxious to bring on an outright
declaration of war Should the
Nazis acquiesce in what has hap
pened in Iceland just as they have
involuntarily consented to American
expectation of planes and ships and
war materials under the lease-lend
legislation the American people
would be no nearer actual entry into
the present war than they have
been since that bill was passed
The question When will America
enter the war?" has always de-
pended on another question: when
will Hitler attack American ships
and planes, and extend his blockade
well into the Western Hemisphere"
Could Go Further.
Eventually, of course, if Hitler
wins out in Russia and is able to
weaken Britain, there will be a day
of reckoning as between the Nazis
and the United States. Meanwhile,
Mr.. Roosevelt probably can go even
further and occupy the Cape Verde
Islands and the Azores without risk
ing an active retaliation by force
on the part of the Nazis.
One thing is clear. AS COM
Inander in chief of the Navy, the
President has ordered the sea lanes
IN the Atlantic made safe. He has
not amplified the meaning of that
significant order, but it can be pre-
sumed that any submarines or
planes lurking in the Atlantic near
Iceland or near any approaches
thereto will be fired upon unless
they agree to leave the zone To
. blockaded zone by belligerent
there has been given a historic an
swer by President Roosevelt-a zone
OF defense by neutral or nom
participating country. The Consti-
tuition permits such policy of pro-
lection for the people of the United
States, but the President will not
hesitate to ask Congress for rec
ognition of state of war If
American forces in Iceland or any