The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-09-09

When Sumner Welles was playing
around with the machinery in Cuba
back in the days that saw the toppling
of the dictator Machado, Welles was
regarded by the liberals as anything
but liberal. He was regarded as bull
wark of power politics in the Island
Republic.
But as time went on and American
diplomacy in Latin America took on
larger Importance, Welles became
known as liberal and at least an at
tendant at the birth of the Good
Neighbor Policy.
Cordell Hull is generally regarded
as the father of the reciprocal trade
treaties, but his parenthood does not
extend to the broad liberal policies
that have changed the whole relation
ship of the United States to Latin
America.
Nor does he appear to have con-
tributed much, if anything, to liberal
diplomacy in any direction.
jealousy guarding his diplomatic pre-
cints. Anyway, Mr.. Hull still sits
there, while goodly number of lib
erals have been forced to walk the
plank.
Mr.. Hull complains that newspapers
nave given false impression of things.
even that they have distorted the facts.
1t would be nice of Mr.. Hull to state
just what are the facts. 1t would be
nicer of. him to show trace of touch
with the modern trend of thought now
and then.
In the months to come the United
States must play great role in world
affairs and the people of the United
States would like that role to be cast
in the mould of liberalism.
There is little enough in Mr.. Hulrs
record to date to give us much assur-
ance of the kind of foreign policy that
is needed and wanted by Americans.
1t is true, of course, that largely
Mr.. Roosevelt is his own foreign minis
ter, but too often that constitutes no
restraint on Mr.. Hulfs conservatism.
He is by way of being an anachronism
in this administration and this hour.
There is still good deal of debate
about our policy during the Spanish
civil war.
Well. quite regardless of the debate,
the fact is that our State Department
gave aid and comfort to Franco and
the further fact is that Franco is quite
frankly a dictator and fascist. SO the
record shows that our State Depart
ment has been quite willing and able
to stomach dictatorship.
OF course THAT was before we went
to war to abolish dictatorship.
We don't support dictatorship any
more! Or do we? Do we still befriend
Franco? Or do we merely use him as
a tool to further the larger ends?
However, that may be, we have seen
Mr.. Sumner Welles wished out of the
State Department, while Mr.. Hull re-
mains serene and supreme.
Not only that, but a host of under
lingS whose whole record smells of the
odor of reaction remains there to sug-
gest and to advise.
Those who want a better under
standing with Russia have howled long
and loud about the haters of Russia
who clutter up the Department. Those
who want better presentation of the
cause of democracy and freedom could
quite properly howl just as long and
just as loud.
We are doing mighty well at this
writing in the field of combat. We are
doing so well that we know we are
well on the high road to victory
And the nearer we get to victory the
more we must know about what we in
tend to do when Germany is licked to
a standstill. There won't be much time
THEN to stop and thrash out policy.
last gun is Silenced.
If we may judge from what we know
today we are NOT ready in the realm
of foreign policy. OF course Mr.. Hull
will not MAKE that policy, but he can
do a great deal to mess it up.
The logical conclusion seems to he
that, since Mr.. Welles has been fired,
Mr. Roosevelt should now call in Mr..
Hull and lay down to him the law
about his own future conduct as head
of our foreign Office. Columnists call
Mr. Hull "a Tennessee feuder," but
feuding isn't what the nation now
needs mOSt.-CMW.