OCR Text |
Show NATIONAL I AFFAIRS Reviewed by CARTER FIELD Opposing groups criticize criti-cize embargo on scrap iron and steel to Japan . . . Friction in Republican Republi-can ranks not indicated by Hamilton's activities. (Bell Syndicate WNU Service. I WASHINGTON. To a good many observers it appears that the embargo em-bargo on scrap iron and steel to Japan is locking the stable doer after the horses are out. There are two groups who criticize this policy of kicking Japan in the face. One group is all in favor of it all in. favor of doing everything possible to prevent Japan from conquering con-quering China, expanding in the Dutch East Indies or French Indo-China. Indo-China. The criticism of those holding hold-ing this view is that the embargo ought to have been imposed two years ago. Those sharing this view also contend, con-tend, of course, that the moment the policy was decided upon this country should have begun prepar- ing to fight in case Japan resented our policy in the Far East enough to make trouble. QUESTION DEBATABLE The other group of critics think the whole situation in Asia is none of our business that we have been trying to get out of the Philippines for years BECAUSE we did not want the possibility of becoming involved in a war in that part of the world I and that we should not have beeD making faces at Japan. Which one of these groups is right is a debatable question. Most of us have positive views one way or the other, and it is very difficult for thr,c taking nnp of the sides to un- derstand the logic of the folks who take the other. But there is very little difference of opinion that the administration would have been wise if it had been guided by the logic of one or the other of these groups. CLAMOR FOR EMBARGO Very few men in Washington, if talking confidentially, will not admit that either the administration ought to have steered a neutral course all the way through, or else been more effective in pursuing a hostile course. There has been clamor from a considerable section of the public ever since the Japanese attack on China began, more than two years ago, for this country to embargo scrap iron or anything else that would help the Nippon war machine. This clamor did not get very far because most people, whether they sympathized with it or not, did not dream the United States would take any formal action. But beginning with the warning of Secretary of State Cordell Hull about the Dutch East Indies, there has been incident after incident calculated cal-culated to make bad feelings between be-tween Japan and the U. S., finally culiminating in the very step that was advocated by the pro-Chinese in this country two years ago. HAMILTON HELPS G. O. P. John D. M. Hamilton, who was relegated to second place in the Republican Re-publican national committee after the Philadelphia convention, has been doing yeoman service in his efforts ef-forts to get all of the defeated aspirants as-pirants for the Republican nomination nomina-tion on the firing line for Wendell Willkie. He and Dudley White, the chairman chair-man of the Republican speakers' bureau, have begun announcing speaking schedules of the big guns of the party, and have already lined up men who might be termed the leaders of the various groups within with-in the party. The speakers range from the extreme ex-treme isolationist leaders to the extremists ex-tremists who believe in going even further than President Roosevelt in giving aid to Britain. The importance of this oratorial and air barrage, of course, is that it tends to dissipate the gossip about certain leaders sulking in their tents. It creates the appearance of harmony. The fact that this big lob was done, and announced by John Hamilton, Ham-ilton, is significant It is calculated to stop a lot of the talk about friction fric-tion inside the Republican organization. organiza-tion. RUMORS OF FRICTION There has been plenty of talk, and plenty of articles by political writers, writ-ers, that all was not sweetness and light between the Willkie train and either the Chicago, New York or Washington headquarters. Most of these stories actually come from what political reporters in the various state capitals gather from their friends in the regular state organizations. Incidentally, there seems to be little doubt that, up until very recently, at any rate, no one in the national Republican organization has been doing very much to reassure the disgruntled. The situation is this. The "regulars" "regu-lars" in the various states are worried wor-ried over what they hear about the crowd of "amateurs" around Willkie. What they are afraid of. of course, is thai after Willkie is elected these amaeeurs will be the fair-haired boys around the White House, while the regulars will be left out in the old |