Evening star., 1941-01-07

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ting of Amer M%
icaS might be-
hind England in David Lawrence.
a deliberate attempt to influence
the course of the war against the
Nazis has to be achieved under
somewhat unprecedented circum-
stances. The most important fact
about the message was the conscious
effort to attain and maintain behind
national policies at the moment a
united public opinion. America, ac-
cording to the President, by IAN
impressive expression of the public
will"-meaning the last campaign
in which both candidates appealed
for aid to Britain-has started to
help Britain win the war and will
not be diverted from that solemn
purpose by any threats from the
dictators abroad.
AS a means of unifying American
opinion, as means of striking at
"appeasers" if by that term Is
meant actual Nazi sympathizerS -
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For it is evident that members of
Congress, irrespective of party, ap-
plauded its objectives. The Pres
ident unquestionably has the coun-
try behind him.
Disappointing Phases.
But there are parts of the message
which are disappointing. In a de-
bate which will be witnessed by the
whole world, it is unfortunate that
the President weakened his case by
the following paragraph:
I'VE need not over-emphasize i'm
perfections in the peace of Yer
sailles. We need not harp on failure
of the democracies to deal with
problems of world reconstruction.
We should remember that the peace
of 1919 was far less unjust than the
kind of "pacification' which began
even before Munich, and which is
being carried on under the new
order of tyranny that seeks to spread
over every continent today. The
American people have unalterably
set their faces against that tyranny"
The President is endeavoring, of
course, to be realistic and he wishes
70 answer the constant argument
of Hitler that the Versailles treaty
was unjust and that the Allies did
nothing to repair the wrongs. What
Hitler says, however, is that the
course he has followed was to use
military force to obtain what reason
and the conference table failed to
obtain. Clearly the Hitler policy
has been unjust and cruel and two
wrongs do not make a right. But
IN the failure of Britain and France
and America to deal fairly with the
situation created by the Versailles
treaty were the seeds of Hitlerism
soWn in Germany. There might
never have been a Hitler if the
German republic had not been mis-
treated by the Allied victors and
If economic help had been given,
instead Of permitting German re-
sources to be drained by reparation
payments to the point where the
NIClhloll lll4ldOlOll D1ouSollC Oll SlletOc,
unemployment and Hitlerism.
In dealing with Hitler himself,
of course, the President is right. For
the Nazi dictator has no ground to
complain about justice since he is
dispensing none of it, though among
the German people who ultimately
must be persuaded to break away
from Hitler and join the democra-
cies, there is still deep-seated be-
lief that Britain and America will
not secure justice for them.
Might Appeal to Germans.
If Mr.. Roosevelt presently will
make an address that will carry
conviction to the German people,
it might have a sensational effect
on German morale and begin to
draw the German people away from
Herr Hitler precisely as they were
drawn away from Emperor Wilhelm.
There was rigid censorship in
the last war and every effort was
made to keep the truth from the
German people, but the persuasive
speeches of the President of the
United States, who offered fair
program of reconstruction, did pen
citrate and had a gseat deal to do
with the bringing on of the revolu-
tion that upset the Hohenzollern
dynasty.
To win the German peoples con-
fdence, it is necessary to admit that
the Versailles treaty was unjust
and that the League of Nations
which sought to correct the mistakes
of that treaty was abandoned by its
sponsors. Until the German people
see or hear frank admission of
error across their boundary line.
they are not likely to perceive any
alternative to Hitlerism that offers
them economic opportunity and q
fair deal in the world of trade.
Chance to Hasten Peace.
While everybody in Washington
who Is vocal about it wants to see
Hitler beaten, it is also true that
there are many here in Congress
who believe American public opinion
favofs every measure that will pos
sibly shorten the conflict. If this
can be achieved by a battle of
morale reaching into Central Eu-
rope, there seems no doubt but
that such course would be favored.
The Presidents speech - in every
other respect logical and convinc-
hg-would have been even more
effective If he had admitted on
behalf of America her own failures
in the twenties and had promised
to rectify those errors by a genuine
program of international collabora-
ton today.
1t is in this direction that the
hope of the world for an early peace
really is to be found, for the chances