Show I Prevailing Opinions 1 I Comment of of- the American Press Doesn't Close War Door There are reports from Washington Washing Washing- ton indicating that the new plan to keep America out of the next European European Euro Euro- or Asiatic war falls bUs far short of ot the constructive redefinition of ot our neutral rights already officially offered to the disarmament confer confer- ence The reported proposal is purely negative and Isolationist isolationist and and even evenso so ab it evades the one question which has got us into European wars before before before be be- fore and the only one likely to get getus us into them again The plan would would keep keep American passengers and goods from the ships of belligerents and their armed merchantmen merchantmen mer mer- from our ports and would embargo the shipment of munitions to both contestants as aswell aswell aswell well as the enlistment of Americans in foreign forces It would do nothing to help prevent the war var from rom happening and would make no distinction between a treaty- treaty breaking aggressor and a defending nation or law enforcing group of nations after it started This may be craven and unintelligent unintelligent but but these are precisely the qualities which it is assumed would recommend recommend recommend mend it to congress But worst of all the plan avoids decision as to what we would do if il ifan ifan ilan an American ship carrying ordinary ordinary ordinary nary goods was seized on the high seas by one of ot the belligerents to prevent its us cargo carso from reaching the other Since this Is the only question which could possibly involve us in ina a European war it is the only one which it is important to answer now President Roosevelt and Secretary Secre tary Hull both know the answer and have hav made it officially in officially in Europe Eu Eu- rope The Indications are that they do not dare make it in congress Until somebody does dare make it the door into the next war is not closed San Francisco Chronicle Only Simple Problems From Prom Washington comes the reassuring reassuring reassuring re re- re- re assuring announcement that the thc revolving revolving revolving re re- Dr Townsend will not run runor for or president next year under any circumstances The aged Inventor of the pretentious Townsend old age pension plan questioned as to I his rumored aspirations to the presidency presidency presidency pres pres- explains that he is not fitted for it mentally or phs ph's physically That is a significant admission The lack of mental capacity was brought up by the doctor himself himsel It Is 15 something of a surprise to hear Dr Townsend admit In effect that he Isn't smart enough to be president president dent though many were prepared of to entertain the idea The admission serves to narrow and clarify the scope of the thc discussion All AU Dr Townsend claims now it appears Is that he is smart enough h to devise a simple scheme that will solve in a flash all aU the economic problems that have stumped the thelast thelast thelast last two presidents and everybody else for six years ears We are quite willing to accept Dr Townsends Townsend's own opinion on the matter and let it go at that Cedar Cedar Rapids Ga Ga- zette History Repeating Whatever else Is demonstrated In Europe it is shown conclusively conclusive conclusive- ly that the repeated statements by nazi leaders that Germany was not rearming were false One development is historically interesting The German attitude attitude attitude atti atti- tude is forcing Great Britain to tomake tomake tomal mal make friends with Russia Only a dozen years prior to the tho outbreak outbreak out out- break of ot the tho World war recalls the Portland Oregonian Britain Britain Brit ain ala was still o on the fence hesitating hesitating hesi heal tating between alliance with the tho German-Austrian German group and the Franco Russian group Then came the tho domination of ot Prussia and Bismarck and Germany with the tho advantage of at size over France waxed bold enough to challenge England's s sea a power Britain at first favorable to the German alliance went theother tho the other way Now Britain after atter Indicating a willingness for discussion discussion dis dis- of a rearmament plan for Germany and after writing 4 weakest of the notes of ot protests protests pro pro- tests sent Sir John Simon to Berlin with a hope of ot bring Hitler Hit Hit- ler lor Into an alliance of ot peace The unsatisfactory response sent Caplain Captain Captain Cap Cap- tain lain Eden to Moscow and Britain Britain Brit Brit- ain ala and Russia after atter a number of ot quarrels arc are drawing close to toone toone toone one another So far as John Bull Dull and the Bear Dear are aro concerned history is repeating Oakland Tribune |