| Show Bruckart's Bruckart Washington Digest Keeping Out of Europe's War WarIs Is Order of Business for U. U S. S Conflicts Conflict's Spread to Norway and amI Denmark Brings Problem of Neutrality to Attention of Nations Nation's Statesmen By WILLIAM VILLIAM Service National Press ness Bid Washington D. D C. C WASHINGTON More More and more people seem to be expressing doubt that the United States can stay itay out of f the new world war One hears the the talk In Irs many quarters official and nd unofficial It frightens Tightens me It is disturbing because so 30 o many seem to feel eel that the war Is growing Crowing closer to us usand usand and md they are are there there- fore ore taking the view that hat we cannot stay out of It To all of those who SS S ss are saying that it William appears we are doomed to ge get ge Into the war which remains as before simply Imply Europe's war and to every everyne everyone everyone one ne else I want to present this tills question ques- ques tion on Why Is It necessary for us to get into nto it That is the question It is not how howan can an we stay out but why should we get ct into it IL There Is no doubt of course that extension of the war var spread of the flames to Norway and Denmark touches ouches more American hearts It ItIs Itis Its is s sad indeed Dut But it would saden sad sad- den en many more hearts in these United States if 11 we get mixed up In n the conflagration Moreover no none noone noone one ne has presented presen so far as 85 I know any ny reason why the United States or r any of Its people or any of its Interests interests in- in crests should be involved in a war that hat represents fundamentally nothIng nothing noth noth- ing bIg more than the thirst for power of f a very few men In all of the people cople Again it is sad but it is not nota noti a i quarrel of our making and I fall fail to o see any reason why or how the United States should shoulder any responsibility The American government is takIng takIng tak- tak Ing ng precautions Some of them seem eem to be rather silly rather an excitable reaction For Instance Senator Walsh of Massachusetts and Representative Vinson of Georgia Geor Geor- gia la chairmen of the senate and house louse naval committees Ively held a long conference with President Roosevelt the other day at which they discussed the proposition of an en expanded navy resident President Ha Has Extended Foreign Combat Zones Zone The President has extended the combat zones which no American ships hips or citizens may enter legally Very Wisely I believed he did not delay clay In Issuing a proclamation that the he war zones of Europe Included the he waters of Norway Sweden and similar areas That will go far towards preventing greedy daring and taking chance-taking Individuals from getting letting their ships shot to pieces Some iome of them would take that chance you know because the prof prof- I Its ts are arc large But Dut always the rest of us must think of what our government government gov gov- is forced to do when citizens citizens citi citi- zens of the United States on legal business are arc slaughtered by a foreign foreign for for- eign navy or army We have only to look back to 1915 and 1916 to see how such killings step by step took us Into World war No I 1 1 There is considerable doubt however however how how- ever about the wisdom shown by bythe bythe bythe the President In sending Undersecretary Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles on that nat European junket Mr Welles has hIlS been home a month now Some of the results can be appraised properly The answer is that in in- sotar as tangible results are concerned con con- the trip was a flop of ot the first water That is is unless the trip may have aroused suspicions of our motives it was a flop If It the suspicions sus sus- were aroused suspicions aroused suspicions that America was planning on future future fu fu- tu- tu ture tore entry entry then of course the trip was a most dangerous thing European Rulers Ruler Might Misjudge Welles' Welles Mission Million Private expressions from some diplomats here have caused me to believe there is some Borne suspicion about us in Europe now It is II natural nat nat- ural oral I suppose that the dictators and even the French and the British would be looking for tor hidden reasons for such luch a mission as Mr Welles executed They are always double dealing themselves so 10 we can suppose suppose sup sup- pose that they look for similar traits among Americans In any event nothing of ot consequence came out of oi that tour of the European capitals not even political prestige for the President Which reminds me that when Mr Welles' Welles appointment was announced an en there was a good deal of undercurrent gossip In Washington that lat the whole plan was conceived and nd engineered by a little group of ot New lew Dealers They thought the I mission might lead to peace negotiations Ions and Mr Roosevelt would become be be- come ome a for a third term In n the White House As usual the called so-called inner circle had no knowledge of what the real fight was about overseas As against the things that might cause ause trouble and thereby endanger endanger I ger er our neutrality neutrality and and more about our ur neutrality below below It it surely is a commendable thing that the members members mem- mem bers ers of congress are arc keeping their tongues still for once in their collective collective col- col lifetime I do not mean that senators and representatives are quiet ulet I do not mean that the halls of f the house and the senate are not ringing with the usual amount of demagoguery Far For from It What I mean and what I am commending Is s that congress as a whole has ex ex- I the finest caution In talking about bout the war Whether they re- re alizo It or not the members of the re-I re house louse and senate by maintaining silence Hence on the subject of the war are re Inducing millions of other people to quit talking about the war Attitude in United States Is s Not Really Neutral About our neutrality That is not nota a proper description of the position of f the United States We are not neutral We are as a nation certainly certainly favoring the cause of the Brit Brit- sh isis and the French I am that 1 j 4 I SUMNER WELLES AND WIFE IIi IIii minion misjudged way myself I really do not care who blows Hitler and all of his gang sky Officially however the United States Is still friendly with Germany and Russia It is so ridiculous that one has to laugh Evidence of how our siding in with the allies obtains even In governmental governmental gov gov- affairs was given just theother theother the theother other day when the President proclaimed proclaimed proclaimed pro pro- claimed the new combat zones around Norway and Sweden It was wasa a proclamation that avoided saying the countries of Sweden Norway and Denmark were at war Why Well Vell if the United States government acting through the President had said those nations were at war another law would have lave become operative and Mr Roosevelt did not want that law to tobe tobe be operative It If those nations had been declared formally at war another law would have prevented any money being loaned to them Mr Roosevelt wanted to keep thedoor thedoor the thedoor door open so that help can be extended extended ex ex- tended if it it becomes necessary There again you can see the possibilities of ot danger Also the definite evidence of the American desire to help Germanys Germany's enemies is plain to see If It we think however however how how- ever that the lending of money to a foreign nation that is engaged in war does not lead to additional steps and additional dangers then we have become an ostrich and are trying to hide our head in the sand The dangers of ot these various acts are apparent it seems to me 1 I make no charge that Mr Roosevelt is trying to lead us into war 1 I believe quite the contrary But Dut with conditions as they are with are with a dozen nations with their backs to I Ithe the wall every waR every move made here requires requires re- re quires the greatest of care and the greatest of at understanding before i It itis is made The examination as 1 I 1 insisted at the beginning of this dis- dis cuss Ion should be made from the standpoint Why Thy is it necessary to stick out our necks We can find no valid reason to get into the warThe war The whole Western hemisphere has nothing to gain and everything to lose by participating I entertain the hope that staying out of the war will become a major issue in the forthcoming political campaigns In that way the importance of everything everything ev ev- done in Washington with will relation to foreign affairs will be driven home by competent speak ers era And any candidate who wiggles wig or squirms on the question of why shy should we get into war ought to be snowed under so 10 deep that tha he would never be heard from again |
