| Show Prevailing Opinions I Comment Common of the hn American Press I Neutrality Neutrality Iov How Was It If Lost The Tho letters Jetters which Thomas W. W Lamont and Newton D. D Baker have written to the New York Times In a laudable effort to protect protect pro pro- their associates from the always alwa's present popular eagerness to bag a scapegoat may seem somewhat academic because they miss a point which Americans cannot afford to lose Jose sight Ight of oC today Mr Lamont a member of the J. J P. P Morgan firm speaks of the myth that It was chiefly American American Amer Amer- ican commercial interests that drew the United States into the war Mr Baker secretary of war under Woodrow V Wilson Json says sas I r never heard the president or any member of his cabinet express express express ex ex- ex- ex press an any opinion that the United States ought to go into the war or that any commercial or financial financial financial finan finan- cial interest would be promoted promoted promoted pro pro- by going in Perhaps It is just as well that Americans be thus challenged to examine allegations that some particular interests were bent benton on dragging the country into war to protect their investments in the tho allied cause That is a sinister suggestion But Americans Americans Ameri Amen cans cannot afford to forget for a moment the facts which such discussions discussions dis dis- dis- dis as these of ot Mr Lamont and Mr Baker tend to obscure What liat hat finally drew Americans American's into the war was their insistence on ena engaging ing In commerce with belligerent bel bel- bel- bel nations And that is the point that is Important today Questions affecting the rights of ot America and Americans were constantly constantly constantly con con- arising Mr Baker re re- re calls But does ho not also recall re recall recall re- re call that these questions arose because be because because be- be cause of oC the trade Americans were carrying on In the war zone Americans can be bo sure of ot stayIng stayIng stay- stay Ing lag out of ot war only b by helping to tomake tomake tomake make sure there is no war around to get into This means they must cooperate with the efforts of ot a community of nations to preserve peace Their present effort at neutrality however was made necessary by the absence of ot political political poli poll readiness to cooperate in preventing preventing preventing pre pre- venting war And while Americans Americans Ameri Amen cans remain hesitant to do this they should hould clearly see tho risks they ar are running in lit allowing trade with either of or the en eats ts It would be Impossible to say how much influence the United States States' tremendous financial stake in the last war contributed to the war sentiment which developed later This much can be said In Ina Ina a a. few words The government saw the tho danger of ot making loans loan fra n prohibited such loans It did not see soon enough the impossibility of ot remaining neutral while tradIng trading trading trad trad- ing on war and as the vested in interest interest interest in- in terest in war trade grew the tho government government government gov gov- yielded to pressure to al allow allow iii- iii low lo loans ns to support it Without the loans the trade would have stopped Without the trade the United States would have had no reason to demand rights which Germany could not not not- in a death and struggle struggle- gle- gle grant Without commercial and financial activities leading to disputes disputes dis dis- dis- dis with the warring powers tho the United States would have had no reason to surrender its neu neu- Christian Science Mon fon- fon on- on Advice to Mr Roosevelt His primary duty duty he duty he should sho id never forget forget is is to discharge the obligations of the presidency as M Important as it undoubtedly is for him to win the election He will have to decide which is the more important On the surface the latter may seem more pressing and of oC greater significance A careful reading of at his history tor will disprove this theory President nt Roosevelt has ha shown courage a and n d fearlessness on many occasions In the past but if it he is to retain the confidence and respect of ot the people he wishes to j serve erve he ho must doubly show his hi- force of oC character and his devotion to the duties of oC his high office during tho the comin coming year ear Mr Roosevelt him himself elt doubtless realizes that the best way for him to be a good candidate candidate candidate candi candi- date is Js to continue to be a good president Birmingham Age- Age Herald Insistence on Peace Approximately half of oC the American people today are willing will will- lag ing to give us the historic principle principle prin prin- ciple of freedom of oC the sea the sea the principle so vigorously defended before the World war war rather rather than to get involved in another European war This is a a. truly amazing and momentous state of mind perhaps the most revealing re revealing revealing re- re evidence that has yet come to light of the seated deep-seated hatred for tor war left in the American American Ameri Amen can heart by their last experience experience ence with it The government at V Washington by this evidence has not gone too far in shutting of off shipment of war materials to the belligerents In the Ethiopian conflict conflict con con- It must go so even further and shut of off all aU trade that may conceivably entangle us in thew the tho thoa thew w a r Albany r. Albany Knickerbocker 10 ow i f Advantage of Age The Hon Cordell Dull secretary of ot state is sometimes spoken otI of ot I disparagingly a san old man Mr Hull was born 64 years ago which is regarded in the British cabinet as barely the age of maturity butIn but butIn butin In the papers is a story which shows that ther there is some advantage advantage advantage tage in having been around for a considerable time It gives a man mana a long memory Thus Thus It enables Mr Hull HuU to deal effectively with the criticisms leveled by the Hoover Molcy-Hoover bloc at his Canadian trade agreement It happens that Mr r. Hull was in congress in 1009 where he had opportunity op opportunity op- op of at observing at close range the methods by which the atrocious Payne-Aldrich Payne tariff was lobbied and log rolled through congress and he was still there in 1931 when the even worse Haw Haw- Smoot ley-Smoot tariff tariff signed signed by Mr Hoover against the advice of ot 1023 economists was railroaded through in the midst of at what Mr Hull HuH c calls a reeking national scandal This is the act that murdered what was left of ot our foreign trade and helped bring on the crash Now that Mr Hull is Js slowly and painfully repairing the dama damage e eit it irritates him to be attacked bythe bythe by bythe the people Who vho did the dama damage e. e And because he has been in Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington ton a lon long time he has only to look Into his memory of oC events which he observed to find plenty of ammunition with which to riddie riddle rid rid- dl die dle his critics A younger man would have to look look into into books documents documents doc doe and other records But Hull HuIl was there He knows knows Bal Bal Baltimore Sun A Reminder And if business through fright has become resentful it should bear in mind how much reason the American people had for tor the resentment that culminated in inthe inthe inthe the political overturn of ot 1932 Through the Harding Coolidge and Hoover administrations there had grown to colossal proportions proportions proportions a financial and industrial oligarchy that oppressed and plundered without restraint or conscience Not all nil business was wasa a party to it Numerically n a very small proportion was guilty guilt The guilt glom was in very ery high ond powerful powerful power power- powerful ful places And the oppression was felt b by the great bod body of ot small and independent business concerns along with the consuming con con- suming and investing public 1 |
