The daily monitor. (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1940-1942, 1941-09-22
AR. HoovER's "MIDDLE WAY"

MR. HoovER's MIDDLE WAY"
Much more persuasive than Wheel
er-Nye-Lindbereh isolation is HerDert
Hoover's view Of Americas position IN
: world at war. Mr.. Hoover speaks our
of . oreot experience in internot'ono'
offoirs and out Of greet sincerity. IN
HE Chicooo speech he not only sup
norted old for the democrocies bur
President RooseveIt's protests o9olnst
Nozi ottocks on American ships. ne IS
rioht in declaring Congress should nor
he detoured on the war issue. His 'deo
thot America should prepare to help IN
world reconstruction shows his human
;torion side and his warming thot
the war can be used to destroy tree
enterprise in America deserves serious
ottention and further discussion.
Naturally attractive to many Amer
icons oIso is the Hoover assurance thot
thev can find middle way thot is
neither isolotion nor intervention and
volt for the doy when Hitler coIloPses
Of his own overlooking. Yet this the
sis must be vigorously questioned.
While we know thot evil destroys itself,
neither Christianity nor common sense
teaches us to let it run its course.
Mr. Hoover never advocated waiting
until domestic rocketeers collapsed OF
their own overreoching.
The Hoover Middle way" does not
stand Up vel under examination. he
sovs of isototionism and intervention:
Neither is possible. Neither is wis
DOM" To many Americans either
course must seem more possible and
more wise than one that lacks the
strength Of either. Mr.. Hover opposed
repeal of the arms embargo, con-
vinced thot war trode would get Amer
lea into war, and logical isolotionsts
will tell him that is what aid to the
democrocies means.
On the other side there is good evil
dence thot America cannot erect on
impreenobIe defense alone nor keep her
economic freedom in q totoitorion
world Whot kind Of peace will result
ond how great will be the task Of recon-
struction il America risks an Axis vic
tory? And the question must be asked:
Should protests be supported by words
but nothing else? II President Roose-
welt was wrong in extending American
defense to Iceland, how close should
the Axis be permitted to approach?
Where does Americas "impreeno-
BILE defense" begin? Should the Nozis
b allowed to control the secs and shut
off old to the democrocies? Then old
to the democrocies becomes hypocrisy.
And the American Navy becomes q
defense for the Mississippi Valley or
the Greet lokes For thot policy would
olso give the Axis control Of South
/. America and defense would become q
land problem.
The trouble is thot the world is not
large enough for freedom and Noziisn,
for America and an Axis allowed to
run Wild Step by step the position hos
become clearer. America hos come un-
4 willingly to recognize the basic con-
flict. II has held back all the way;
never wos there stronger propaganda
Than the horrors of wor-now odver-
tised doily-thot stimulate the natural
4 desire to avoid war. 1t is the Ioqic of
events that causes the Nozis to seek
I - shut off supplies for their opponents
4 ord equally couses America to declare
q ~ will prevent interference with those
k3lppyies. Between the two positions
M toovers Middle way" is bound
IL sunk. From The Christion
eo Monitor.
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