Show 0 J tz s TOPICS INTERPRETED y 21 NATIONAL PRESS WASHINGTON D. D DC D.C. C. C Washington Congress again has bas given glnn a n tine fine Illustration m of oC hoa ho lion liona a horse goes up t to Neutrality the jump t the h e n na na a Shell falls fas to take II It It faltered on th the neutrality question True con congress ress has hns re-enacted re for Cor another year the neutrality law that was put through under pressure a n year n ago o but I Idid It did dIll not have the necessary courage courage cour cour- age to go Into that question am an and work wort out anything of a permanent character The result I am con conn Is that that as soon as ns there Is is any excuse whatsoever neutrality neutrality for tor the United S States will be noth Ing but a shell 1 I do not know nor do I 1 believe nn anybody can tell at this Juncture whether the United States ought to tc embark on a n rigid policy of Isolation Isola tion from Crom affairs of ot the world but hut that Is a question that Is subordinate subordinate nate at thIs tills moment The point Is that congress a year ago made a n great show of neutrality and put on a n second stage performance only only on on- I ly lately with the same theme song Since It has hns backed away from the thereal thereal real Issue It begins to appear that the original action was vas but hollow mockery that the politicians moved mo a year ago ngo with the thou thought ht In Jn mind that they would not have e to gOo go go on record so so soon and that they could make male the country feel it IH had d elected statesmen But Instead Instead Instead In In- stead their course had led them to the point where a decision had to tobe tobe tobe be made made and and they have dod dodged ed iLOne It iL One of the reasons why this neutrality neutrality neu neu- question has become so Important important Im im- im Is the combination of cIrcumstances circumstances cIr cIr- that has developed In n Europe The maneuvers have put our congress on the spot and It like so many previous times again bas has wavered watered It It Is difficult to forecast what Is going to happen In Europe but there nr are certain signs and portents por portents por por- tents that may muy not he be I Ignored nored History History His His- tory as ns we nil all know has has n a habit of ot repeating Itself and It promises to repeat Itself in a hurry this time Let Let us look at nt the European plc- plc tare ture t re On the one hand we have hae an alignment of France and En England find and probably Russia Hussla On the theother theother theother other we see Germany Gel Ger many Austria and italy There has been nothing more tangible tang thus far than a baring of fangs s. That Is no overt acts have ha been committed but It always has been the th case that the snarling and showIng showIng show- show Ing of or of teeth has lias provided the setting setting set set- ting the atmosphere for more serious serious seri serio ous accusations It may never ne happen happen hap hap- pen that that Germany or Austria or Italy will take steps which France or Russia could regard reg-arr as ns an nn Invasion Invasion Inva Inva- sion slon of national rights and then again any one of the them at any time may mav accidentally or deliberately do some minor thing that would provoke pro Iro- Iro voke vol e hostilities The chief sl significance of the reported reported reported re re- ported aU alignment of Italy with Germany Germany Ger Ger- many and Austria New is that the Cen Cen- Alignment t I ra a 1 Powers a as s they stood In 1914 have hae been augmented by the strength th of I Fascist Italy It means that the Germany of 1014 1914 has hns access access ac nc cess to the North sea and the time Mediterranean Mediterranean Medi Medi- Instead of or Just the North r sea as occurred 20 years a ago o I Coupled with that fact is the condition condition con con- I I of a better defense for the C Central Powers Iott If the tIle a agreement between Germany and Italy sticks Ger Germany has only the western and Russian fronts to maintain It allows al allows al al- lows for a n more compact military program because Instead ad of or guarding guardIng guard guardIng guard guard- Ing a against Italy on the South Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many has an ally ay In that direction from fromn which sources of ot supply can be established T The e fresh understandings s worked out O between France and England really ore nothing more than a res res' res restoration of the arran arrangement ement tha existed cx sted In the World war The rhe British on the surface at least have e no compact with Russia but the French have a very definite agreement agree agree- agreement ment with the Soviet It seem seems likely therefore that If hostilities should break out again the British and the Soviet will have no ty in establishing a n pact of or mutual help belp As Asa a n sidelight It seems to me m mH H that inac time me new developments ue rather turn the spotlight on the time policies of Pierre Laval former Cormer French foreign foreign for for- eign minister Mv M I 1 Laval It will be UP remembered was ousted because of alleged pro Italian policies n He sought for months to maintain friendship between France and Ita Un- Italy ly Iy because be feared to do otherwise otherwise otherwise other- other wise would result In alignment of Mussolini with Hitler The bulk hulk of the French parliament disagreed vUth him however and M M. M Laval was replaced by Foreign Forel n Minister Flandin Now ow Europe has seen soon the prompt desertion of Mussolini from lom the French side and his all alignment with Hitler lUtter So the old picture lias hns been put pur together t gether again in Europe with the only change being the placement o ot of Italy on the opposite side of the tin fence from where that nation stood in 1014 1914 But nut let not the fact that tha the lie alignment diners differs only because of Italy's s position he be minimized I It ItIs Itis is the most Important of the combination combi- combi nation nallon that has developed In Europe The new situation Insofar a ns as Great Britain Is concerned means that lint In case of r n a France Trance Backs clash In the Met lied Britain b be between between be- be e- e tween the forces of Mussolini l and the British there there 1 will be French support It means mean therefore that Mussolini l hardly dare disturb the concentration of ot British British Brit Brit- ish warships around the Suez To Todo Todo Todo do so would call down upon his hen heal not only the shells of the British fleet neet but those of oC the lie French as ns well For the French the revived understanding understanding understanding un un- with Great Grent Britain gives support against the slow flow now of Hitler lava into the which was demilitarized by the Treaty of ot Versailles at the end of the World war The French rench I are nrc very touchy about the Rhineland and nn any attempt by Germany to fortify the territory makes French rench I nerves very jittery It Is only natural natural nat nat- ural then that the French look upon the a agreement with London as ns an assurance of security In Incent event ent Hitler should strike In the Through It all foreign forel n advices In Indicate Indicate indicate In- In that tint British fists are gradually gradually ally being doubled up n against Hit Hit- ler This Tills Is true notwithstanding the fact that the new King Edward VIII Is tr trying ln to be friendly with Germany Foreign dispatches and private advices explain that there is a n notable re recurrence amon among the British of discussion recalling German German German Ger Ger- man atrocities in the World war Slowly but surely throughout hout Rag Eng Ragland En England land the old hatred Is arising On the northern frontier of Germany Ger Gel many there is a Ii new line of steel The Communistic state tate of Russia Hussla looks with disfavor or upon the Nazi Nai My ly Information Is that it would take very ery little to provoke pro trouble there Altogether ether the situation Is one where If a 1 stone rolls down a mountain mountain moun moun- tain side It could very ery easily become become become be be- come the detonation cap that would could explode an ammunition n dump With these facts In mind one can understand un readily the gravity of the relations between the lie United United United Unit Unit- ed States and the rest of the world I One can understand as well wily congress was rather anxious to avoid le legislation of ot a n broader scope In n International affairs than already al- al already already al al- ready was operative Yet this does not alter the lie fact that If congress I had lad no Intention of establishing a n areal areal real neutrality policy polley It should not nol have ha embarked on a a course designed designed designed de de- de- de signed to that end It- It was either fn engaging in ag-in In n a game of fooling the th public a year ago ngo or It has lias Ju just l 1 now demonstrated a most cowardly attitude Now to get back home we observe observe ob ob- serve a maneuver by President Roosevelt eH to link i Roosevelt's Roosevelt s North and South Maneuver American nations Into a n new agreement agree agree- ment While none of our officials will say that this move e has nn any connection with European development development develop elop ment I believe e that observers generally generally gen gen- are of the opinion that It hasan hasan has lias an Important bearing on the situation situation situation situ situ- beyond he ond the Atlantic It ought to be helpful in keeping the United States out of that mess or or If the lie future forces us ns into it and In the lie meantime there Is a sound arrangement arrangement ar nr- ran ement worked out between nations nations na nn- of the western hemisphere their combined strength ought to put an end to European strife more quickly than If those European nations nations na na- lions were left to fight It out alone In other words If Mr Roosevelt Roose can cnn work out a binding n agreement between alP aW the nations of or the lie western western western west west- ern hemisphere they can exert a tremendous Influence This Influence will carry further than titan on the homeland of any of the lie countries now Involved In the European Euro Euro- peau case of Jitters It possibly ma may extend to the he point of oC becomIng becoming becoming becom becom- ing the lie balance of power In the lie set set- of ot colonial disputes between between between be be- tween the central powers and antI the tIm newly established re-established allies ames European European European Euro Euro- Interests In South America are Important and If It our South American neighbors have the Important important Im im- weight of the United States on their side sille they will be In n a position position po po- for the lie first time to force proper adjustment of colonial rights In the western hemisphere Insofar as those colonial rights are concerned con con- concerned In settlement of or European differences Western Union |