The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-09-03

the Pacltlc III case or an 3
 And three times Roosevelt re- piled that the American Consti- tuition prohibited any comnlit- ment in advance without the con- sent of Congress.
 It may well be that historians will compare these conversations to that between Lord Grey, the British Foreign Minister in 1914, and the German ambassador in London. At that time, just be- fore the outbreak of the last war, the British were asked what they would do in case Belgium was in- vaded. Would they declare war against Germany Lord Grey sidestepped the issue. He declared to take a stand. Many histori- ans believe that had the British flatly stated in advance that they would declare war in case Ger many Invaded Belgium, Belgium never would have been invaded and World War I might not have started
 Similarly in the late summer
 of 1888, before Germany in-
 vaded the Sudeteland, Prime
 Minister Chamberlain called in
 Ambassador Joe Kennedy to ask what support Britain could get
 from the U. s. fleet iH the Pa
 cific in case of war in Europe.
 He reminded Kennedy that the
 British fleet would have to be
 concentrated in Atlantic and
 Mediterranean waters and could
 not operate In the Far East.
 Kennedy, after consulting Wash
 ington, replied that the COnsti-
 tuition would permit no advance
 agreement regarding the fleet.
 On one other occasion during the Chamberlain regime when the situation was tense over Poland, Britain made the same query of the United States.
 The last query came when
 Roosevelt and Churchill were o
 the high seas off Newfoundland. Again Churchill wanted the United States to draw Q line be- yond which Japan could not
 pass without a declaration of war from the United States. But once again Roosevelt re- fused to raaIEe a commitment without the consent of Congress.
 The Constitution is the Con- stitution. Nevertheless, it re- mains a fact that war sometimes can be averted by making 1t abe solutely clear to a nation in ad- vance that 1t faces in case of aggression. And our recent hesitancy oyer drawing a line be- yond which Japan shall not pass may be compared his historians with Britain's failure to draw a line in regard to Belgium. SENATE PROBES
 HOLLYWOOD
 During the nineteen long years since will Hays resigned as Warren Harding's postmaster gen. eral to become president of the Motion Picture Producers and Dis tributors, his sway over Hollywood never has been so shaky as to- day.
 This is chiefly because Hays is given part of the blame for the current Senate investigation of the motion picture. industry to ascertain whether Hollywood has been spreading warlike propa- ganda.
 Naturally this investigation is the last thing Hays wants. But he made the mistake of writing an article in which. referring to Hollywood producers, he said: There are those who would muse rather than amuse." This was immediately interpreted as mean ing that certain Hollywood pro- iucers had an axe to grind and were trying to slant their pic- lures.
 So now g lot of the producers, who incidentally, pay VIII Hays . salary we'll over sl00,eo0, arc
 asking just whom he meant. And the Senate Committee, conn pleteIy dominated by isolation ists, Is planning to put Hays on the griddie and ask him just which Hollywood producers arc prepagandizlng ln their pictures.
 NOTE - Last time Hays ap- peared before g Senate investlga-