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Show NA NATIONAL TIONAL TIONALAFFAIRS NATIONALAFFAIRS AFFAIRS AFFAIRSRevlewecJ AFFAIRSReviewed Revitwtd RevlewecJ Reviewed by byCARTER byCARTER byCARTER CARTER FIELDCurious FIELD FIELDCurious Curious position poszuon in zn whichthe whch which whchthe whichthe , the United Umfed States Stares now finds findsItself findsitself findsitself Itself Itselfluth itselfwith tilth luth with luthrespect withrespect respect to the theEuropean theEuropean theEuropean European uar IaT tar { ; . Siving Swmg Swing toPresident's toPresidents to toPresIdent's toPresident's PresIdent's PresIdents ' neutrality neutralty , stand standsince standiince mce since uar tar broke brohe outl out outrationalisation l\ l 11 \ rationalisation atlOllalzzafzon latlOllalzzafzon ationaltzation 11ationaltzation o of f felectric electricindustry electrzc electric electrzcIndusfr electricinditstr Indusfr inditstr ) being bemg considered consideredPolitical consIderedPolztlcal consideredPolitical PolztlcalSlgnzficance Politicalsignificance Political Polztlcal significance Slgnzficance of ofthe ofthe ofthe the Mississippi lIlzsslSszppZ gubernato gubernatonal gubernatorial gubernatorial nal rial primary pnmary primaryWASHINGTON primaryWASHINGTON WASHINGTON WASillNGTON WASillNGTONThere WASHINGTONThere -There There - There may ha\e ha e haebeen has ha\ebeen ha ebeen \ e ebeen been more curious positions m in which whichallegedy whichallegedly whichallegedly allegedy allegedly ] neutral nations have found foundthemselves foundthemselves foundthemselves themselves than the United States Statesnow Statesnow Statesnow now occupies with respect to the thepre.ent thepresent thepresent pre.ent preent present . war in Europe but the most moststudious moststudious moststudious studious of diplomats are unable to toremember toremember toremember remember an exampleD ehampleD example ehample D plomats were a bit surprised at atthe atthe atthe the fervor of President Roosevelt s sfireside sfireside sfireside fireside chat with the nation He Hefollo Hefollow Hefollow follo\\ follo follow folloed \ edCry ed \Cry Cry \ v ery closely they point pomt out outthe outthe outthe the pattern of Gen Hugh S John Johnson Johnson Johnson son s speech a few days before as asto asto asto to beiag beL/lg beL lg being / neutral m In fact fact , , but not neu neutral neutral neutral tral in thought . . Johnson was a little blunter He Hemade Hemade Hemade made no bones about the impossibility lffiposslbllity lffiposslbll impossibil ity of not being bemg against agamst a nat on onwh onwh onwh wh ch uses force instead mstead of persua persuaslon persuaSion persuaBion slon Sion slonhlch which \\hlch hlch \ has no regard for Its Itsword itsword itsword word and which threatens the peace peaceof peaceof peaceof of the world every t me it v . wants wantsanything wantsanything ants antsanythmg anythmg anything Roosevelt was much m Id Ider Ider Ider er B it 1t he also mentioned the use useof useof useof of force and admitted that he could couldnot couldnot couldnot not ask the cit zens of this country countryas as Woodrow Wilson had done m in 1914 1914to 1914to 1914to to be neutral in m thoughtThere thoughtThere thought thoughtThere There was Voas another bit of o1 Rouoe Rouse Rouoevelt Rousevelt Rousevelt velt s address which was gencrally generally gencrallyapproved generallyapproved generallyapproved approved by the partisans of BrItam Britain BrItamand Britainand Britainand and France and was gall and worm wormwood wormwood wormwood wood to the pro Nazis This was his hisinsIstence hisinsistence bisInsistence insIstence that there should be no noprofiteerIng noprofiteering noprofiteering profiteerIng on any commod t es eswhich eswhich which \ ch the men women and chll chil chlldren children children dren might need in the war strIcken strIckencountries strickencountries strickencountries strickencountriesAs countries countriesAs As mere words these are not un unneutral unneutral unneutral neutral But v . when hen it is real17ed realised real17edthat realisedthat reali7edthat that Britain Bntam and France can buy buyall buyall buyall all of these commodities m in the Un t ted ted ted ed States that they . want v.ant vant allowing allowingfor allowingfor allowingtor for certain certam losses through througb subma submarlDmg submarming submaruling rlDmg rming of the supply ships but that It Itis itis itis is practically imposs ble for Germa Germs Germany Germsny Germany ny to be so suppi suppl ed the evenhanded evenhandedJustice evenhandedjustice evenhandedjustice Justice disappearsSuing disappears disappearsSuing Suing Stung to Presidents PresIdent s SIde SideSince SideSince Since War Brole Brola Brol e a Out Ollt OutThere OlltThere OutThere There is some doubt now on thIS thISsame thissame thissame same point whether the embargo embargopro embargopros embargopro\ embargopro embargoprosion pro\ pro pros proslon \ sion slon of the neutrality act ap applymg applying applying plymg plying to arms ammun tion tlon lion and andImplements andimplements andimplements Implements of war will be re repealed repealed repealed pealed The President wanted that thatvery thatvery thatvery very much during the last sess on onHe onHe onHe He could have had his way it If the therepealer therepealer therepealer repealer could have been gotten to toa toa toa a vote in the senate It was obvIOus obvIOusthat obviousthat obviousthat that thereere there \ were \\ere ere enough opponents of ofrepeal ofrepeal ofrepeal repeal to talk the change to death deathSo deathSo deathSo So m In the desire to reach adJourn adJournment adjournment adjournmcnt ment it was abandoned abandonedAt At the t me ins de admimstrat admlnlstrat administrat on onofficials onofficials onofficials officials figured on the basis of theIr theIrknowledge theirknowledge theirknowledge knowledge of the situat sltuat on in Eu Europe Europe Europe rope that the odds for war were wereabout wereabout wereabout about three to two However they theyalso theyalso theyalso also figured that if the embargo embargocould embargocould embargocould could be repealed the oddsould odds \ would \\ould ould be bereversed bereversed bereversed reversed thus becoming becommg three to tot'lO totwo totwo t\'lO t 'lO lO two \ ' agamst against warThere warThere war warThere There is 15 no doubt that there has hasbeen hasbeen hasbeen been a s vmg m sent ment to vard yard vardthe yardthe vardthe the Pros Pres dent s side since smce the war warbroke warbroke warbroke broke out It is Just ] ust a quest on of ofhow ofhow ofhow how many incidents mCldents it would take taketo taketo laketo to so inflame mflame the country aga nst the theNazIs theNazis theNazis NazIs that the only question would wouldbe wouldbe wouldbe be when the United Umted States would get getmto getinto getinto mto into the \ war ar on the side of BrItam Britain BrItamand Britainand Britainand and FranceBut FranceBut France FranceBut But it would be a anple -nple nple - matter matternow matternow matternow now to force through the change the thePres thePres thePres Pres dent has wanted There are aresome aresome aresome some senators still who bel eve It Itwould itwould itwould would be virtually an act of war warand warand warand and calculated to get the United UnitedStates UnitedStates UnitedStates States into mto the war but there are arenot arenot arenot not enough of them to make a strong strongfi strongdl strongfil fi dl ] buster-w buster w buster - w th no date for the end endmg ending ending mg ing of a session agreed uponConsider upon uponConsider Consider NationalisationOf NationalizationOf Nahonal.atlon Nahonalatlon Nationalization , . Of the Electric Electrrc IndustryNatIonabzatIon IndustryNationalization Industry IndustryNationalization Nationalization NatIonabzatIon of the electr c in industry industry industry dustry is one of the first moves movesplanned movesplanned movesplanned planned by New Dealers when and andif if 11 the United States becomes mvolved m in mvolved involved volved in the war The only ques questlon queslion question tlon lion is whether congress would wouJd be bewlllmg bewilling bewilling bewillingBut wlllmg willing wlllmgBut willingBut But the mner Inner circle Is not worry worrying worrying worrying ing about that question There Is Isno isno isno no thought in the minds of the left leftwlngers leftwingers leftwingers wlngers wingers that In the rush to give the theadmmlstratIon theadministration theadministration admmlstratIon administration every power it might mightask mightask mightask ask tor for w \ war ar purposes control of ofsuch ofsuch ofsuch such a vital clement element as power would wouldnot wouldnot wouldnot not be mcudedIn included mcuded includedIn ] In the last war It was the rail railroads railroads railroads roads But the motive as well as asthe asthe asthe the s tuation tuatlon would be different In Inthe Inthe Inthe the first place v . wh he Ie le ] some of the thethen thethen thethen then heads of the administration administrationmay administrationmay administrationmay may have hoped that the govern government governmeat government ment meat would wouJd operate the railroads railroadsforever railroadsforever railroadsforever forever most of the driving force forceincludmg forceincluding forceincluding includmg including the thought of o1 President PresidentWoodrow PresidentWoodrow PresidentWoodrow Woodrow Wilson was for return ng ngthe ngthe ngthe the railroads as soon as the emer emergeney emergency emergency geney gency was overThis overThis over overThis This t me the allegation that tak taking takbig taking ing big over the electric industry mdustry was wasnecessary wasnecessary wasnecessary necessary tor for war purposes would wouldbe wouldbe wouldbe be an excuse not the real reason reasonTh.e reasonThe reasonTht Th.e The . real reason is that insiders msiders in the adminlstrat admlnlstrat administrat on are firmly con convmced convmced convinced vmced that government ov.ncrshlp ovncrshlp ownership ownershipof ov.ncrshlpof . of the electric eectrlc ] industry mdustry would be a areal areal areal real blessing tor for the people of the thecoun thecountry thecountry coun country try as a wholeThere \ whole wholeThere hole holeThere There is another important d ffer fference fference ffcrencc ence in m the situation of o1 the raIl raIlroads railroads railroads roads during that terrible winter wmter of of1917 1917 1918 and that of the elcctrlc electric elcctrlcindustry electricindustry electricIndustry industry today In the World war warthe warthe warthe the United Uwted States railroads ra1lroads : almost almostcollapsed almostcollapsed almostcollapsed collapsed Meanwhile the v.eather veather weather v.eatherplus weatherplus . weatherplus plus trucks tor for whose weight and andpower andpower andpower power the roads had not been cal calcuJted calculated calculited cuJ\ted cuJ ted culated ' \ had made the h ghways sor sorry sorry sorry ry substitutes lor for the steel roadsThe roadsThe roads roadsThe The rush of getting gettmg our own troops troopsand troopsand troopsand and supplies supplIls ' ! to Atlantic seaports seaportsplus seaportsplus seaportsplus plus the necessity tor for keeping up upthat upthat upthat that vital flow of supplies suppbes to the thehard thehard thehard hard pressed allies was terrific So Sothe Sothe Sothe the government took over the rail railroads railroads railroads railroadsGovernment roads roadsGovernment Government Control Left LeftRailroads Lc/tRailroads Lc tRailroads / Ratlroads Railroads in rn Bad ShapeBut ShapeBut SJiape Shape SJiapeBut But cons der for a moment momcnt what whatwas whatwas whatwas was the chief reason why the r tak taking taklug taking ing lug over o\cr o cr \ by the government was so soessentIal soessential soessential essentIal It was to get the roads roadsout roadsout ! out from under government regula regulation regulation I ItIon tIon ! So long as the roads were ID in IDI IDpnvate inprivate inprivate I pnvate private hands any collusion any ex exI exchangmg exchanging exchanging I changmg changing of services any agree agreements agreements agreements ments that A would handle this ter territory terntory : ntory ritory and B that that , . , while Could C \\ould ould would wouldhandle \ wouldhandle ouldhandle handle only through business busmess would wouldha wouldhale wouldhave ha\ ha hae hale \ e been frightful affronts to the theinterstate theinterstate theinterstate interstate commerce commcrce commission In Infact Infact Infact fact fact , , such practices would not have havebeen havebeen havebeen been tolerated for a moment . . It never occurred to anyone of ofcourse ofcourse ' ' course that this could have been beensolved beensolved beenI I solved by the s mple inple decision by bycongress bycongress bycongress congress that tor for the per od ad of the theemergency theemergency ' emergency all restrict restnct ons ens except ehcept as asto asto asto to rates and safety v . were ere abrogatedYet abrogatedYet abrogated abrogatedYet Yet after the war no one demed denied demedthat deniedthat deniedthat that the only advantage from gO\ gO gos gOernment gosernment go\ernment go ernment \ ernment operation was this short shortclrcwtmg shortcircmtmg shortcircuiting clrcwtmg circmtmg of federal regulat on In Infact Infact Infact fact there was a terrific rush to get getthe getthe getthe the roads back into mto private pnvate hands handsand handsand handsand and there is 1 ] tile ttle the doubt that if the thewar thewar thewar war had continued much longer the thestup thestup thestup stup d mefflc meffic meflic ency of government governmentopera governmentoperation governmentoperation opera operation tlOn Yo would ould ha have hate \ e more than off offset offset offset set the adantages adv ad\ ad ads \ antages of removing gov government government government ernment regulat onSo enSo on en onSo So obvious and true \ was as thIS thISalong thisalong thisalong along about the time the roads were werehanded werehanded werehanded handed back to their private o 0 vn vnersm vnersin vners ers-m ers m ers-in in - in such bad shape that they theyhave theyhave theyhave have never neer ne\ ne net \ er em fully recovered-that recovered that recoveredthatseveral recoveredthatseveral recovered - thatseveral several ardent government o\\ner o ner owner onership ownership ownership \ \ ship advocates moaned that th s un unfortunate unfortunate unfortunate fortunate experience had put the thecause thecause thecause cause of government ownersh p back backfor backfor backtor for 50 yearsPolitical years yearsPolitical Political Polltrcal Slgnzficance Significance SignificanceOf Of Mississippi MISSISSlppt PTimaryThere PrimaryThere Primary PTimary PrimaryThere There is no discounting dlscountmg the effect effectof effectof effectof of the Mississippi gubernatorial prI prImary primary pnmary mary on the possible posslbe ] nominal nommat nominat on of ofPres ofPres ofPres Pres dent Roosevelt tor for a th rd rdterm rdterm rdterm term if i1 the Chief Executive dec des deshe deshe deshe he wants a third term Victory of ofPaul ofPaul ofPaul Paul B Johnson on a pro Roose Reese Roosevelt Reesevelt Roosevelt velt t cket and with the support of ofSen ofSen ofSen Sen Theodore G Bilbo over for former former tormer mer Gov Martin Martm S Conner who whohad whohad whohad had the support of Sen Pat Harri Barre Harrison Barreson Harrison son is h ghly important Iffiportant in m calculat calculatmg calculating calculating mg ing the stand that the M IV Id ! ss ss ppl ppi ppldeegat ppidelegat ppidelegat deegat delegat ] on may take at the Demo Democrat Democrat Democrat crat c nat ona onal anal ] convent on next nextJune nextJune nextJune nextJuneB June JuneB B ] Ibo lbo bo has been an out and out outthIrd outthird outthird thIrd termer for Roosevelt Roose\elt Roose elt \ Harn Harri Harnson Harrison Hamson son has sa |