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Show Bruckart's Washington Digest Feeling of Unrest in Europe Reaches Our Side of Atlantic Permeates Administration and, to Some Extent, Congress; Con-gress; Kesult Is. Great and Increasing Mystery; President's Presi-dent's Seereey Approved; Facts ALout Plane Sales. By WILLIAM ERUCKART VVNl! Service,' National Press Bldg., Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON. The feeling that h,-is obsessed Europeans for weeks that they are approaching toward some international crisis seems to have spread to our side of the Atlantic. At-lantic. Right out of the air, so to Fpeak, we are made to feel thai great questions are ubout to take shape and that we, in this country, must be ready to decide them. The germ, or whatever it is, has taken up its domicile within our administration adminis-tration and, to some extent, in congress, con-gress, and the result ls great and increasing in-creasing mystery. Most sources in Washington did not believe that the so-called settlement settle-ment of the European crisis at Munich Mu-nich last September was, in fact, more than a stop-gap, as I reported to you at that time. The Munich failure has become more and more evident and the very atmosphere is charged again with exactly the same type of bated expectancy. In a general way, of course, we all know that the worldwide difference differ-ence between the democratic forms fit government and the dictatorships is at the bottom of the whole thing. We know, as well, that Hitler and Mussolini have challenged the European Eu-ropean democracies by the boldness of their dictatorship actions in taking tak-ing practically what they want in the way of additions to their empires. em-pires. We know, further, that the end decidedly is not yet insofar as the Hitler and Mussolini ambitions are to be considered. And wrapped up in all of this is the genuine friendship that the United States has for France and England. Beneath the surface, things have been going on in our own government. govern-ment. The President, the department depart-ment of state and the military and naval services know what is taking place in Europe and they are advised ad-vised as to what may be expected. Plans were being formed and developed de-veloped so that steps could be taken here at the proper time. All of this was done in more or less secrecy, as it always has to be done since public discussion of such delicate matters could tilt us very easily from the frying pan into the fire. Genuine Danger of War, Cut Not Immediately Because of the necessity for avoiding avoid-ing wrong impressions which is a vHal thing in international relations, President Roosevelt told the mili-tiry mili-tiry affairs committee of the senate confidentially something of the inside in-side story. I believe he did right in shielding those facts from general knowledge for no one knows how thej could, or would, be distorted in German or Italian newspapers. But this air of mystery has backfired back-fired in a curious way. It has aroused certain portions of the country coun-try into a veritable frenzy particularly, particu-larly, some members, of congress and they have siezed upon a relatively rela-tively unimportant thing as their weapon in striking at Mr. Roosevelt's Roose-velt's foreign policy. They have jumped all over the President's neck about the sale of airplanes to France, airplanes that were manufactured manu-factured and are being manufactured manufac-tured by private plane builders and which are being sold for lash to the French government. It is made to appear that this is a terrible tiling. The howlers are saying that Mr. Roosevelt has violated vio-lated the spirit of the neutrality act and that he should never have given permission for the sale of the planes. There are other charges flying about, also, but they are unimportant un-important here. I have dug into the situation as far as is possible, I believe, and I fail to get very much excited about the whole thing. There is, of course, the genuine danger of war, although I am not convinced that Europe is going to break out tomorrow. Sometime, Some-time, probably, but not immediately. immediate-ly. Such a clash of hopes and convictions con-victions and traditions and faith as obviously occurs between the philosophies philos-ophies of dictatorships and democracies democ-racies is bound to lead to use of force but I think there is the probability prob-ability that it is further away than this jittery feeling of the world now indicates. France's Purchase of American-Made Airplanes To get back to this airplane thing, I should like to set out some of the facts. France is buying American-made American-made airplanes several hundred of them. She is doing this because her own airplane production has stalled and France has sufficient gold to buy them elsewhere. The French military service must have them in case there is that outbreak of force that seems so imminent on the surface sur-face for the reason that Germany and Italy are superior to France in the air. The contracts were let in this country after Mr. Roosevelt had talked over the whole question with his cabinet and with the war and navy departments and certain lead-, lead-, ers of the airplane industry. They were authorized after Ambassador Bullitt, in his reports from Paris, had laid bare the whole situation. I am told that Mr. Bullitt advised ad-vised Mr. Roosevelt to treat the matter as a routine; that to talk much about it would excite people, unduly. Well, the Bullitt idea was working until the unfortunate accident acci-dent out near Los Angeles when a big bombing plane fell, injuring a member of the French mission that is in this country buying the planes. Then, out popped the secret and out came the critics of the Roosevelt foreign policy. It ls not within my power to say whether Mr. Roosevelt's foreign policy pol-icy is right or wrong. I do not believe anyone can tell yet. Any foreign policy is something of a gamble. If it works, the author is a hero; if it fails, the author of the policy promptly is termed a sap. Bui- of this phase, I can write: why should the howlers now arise and denounce the President's foreign for-eign policy on the basis of sales of planes to France, when more than a year ago the British government began buying planes from our manufacturers? man-ufacturers? Why is it wrong to let the French buy and right to let the British buy? Or, to state the matter mat-ter affirmatively, it seems to me that we cannot well differentiate between be-tween two nations with whom we have friendly relations. Foreign Policy Opposition Making Itself Look Foolish I do not regularly burn incense at the Roosevelt dais, but when 1 believe his opposition is making itself it-self look foolish, I believe they ought to be called what they are. If they can show where the present foreign policies are ridiculous, now is their opportunity. If this criticism of Mr. Roosevelt were directed at his actions with respect re-spect to Spain or Japan, perhaps there would be something worth considering. It will be recalled that the President persuaded plane manufacturers man-ufacturers and many others as well to discontinue sales to the Japanese for use against China. It will be recalled also that indirect assistance assist-ance was given the so-called loyalists loyal-ists in Spain, aid that surely must be looked upon if done honestly as help to the military forces although al-though disguised as provisions for those who suffered back of the lines. All of this was done while we have a neutrality act through which congress con-gress believed it was taking away certain powers from the Chief Executive. Ex-ecutive. So, I repeat that there is cause, it appears, for criticism of some of the President's foreign policies, but it. does not seem that critics have joined issue with the Chief Executive Execu-tive on any sound basis. I always have felt that there is too much secrecy in general governmental govern-mental administration. Unimportant Unimpor-tant squirts, holding unimportant jobs, are forever and ever taking themselves seriously to the point where they would not admit it was pouring down rain if it were raining cats and dogs. From that level of officialdom on up and down the line, one finds that sort of thing in our government. I saw a congressional committee chairman refuse, just the other day, to let newspaper men see a statement that he was inserting in the committee record, a record that is as public as the light of day. It was silly, but it was typical. President Has Authority To Shape Foreign Policy When it comes to foreign relations, rela-tions, however, the situation is entirely en-tirely different. The constitution, wisely enough, provides that such matters must be dealt with by the President. It allows him the power of negotiation but it curbs that power pow-er by requiring him to ask congress for a declaration of war. In other words, the President is provided with authority to shape and conduct the foreign policy, the dealings with foreign nations, but he must have the approval of congress, which represents rep-resents the people, when the concluding con-cluding phases of those negotiations are reached and the nation is about to be bound. That condition was arranged at the outset of our nation's history. It has worked well. The rights of the people are amply protected. Think for a moment what the situation situa-tion would be if our foreign policies poli-cies were in the hands of addle-pated addle-pated demagogues in the house or the senate! I hazard a guess that some of them would talk as long as Hitler did the other day and create just as much grief. So, I firmly believe there should be some secrecy about our foreign policy and that the President should have some liberties in working out arrangements with other governments. govern-ments. After all, any program that he has must eventually be published and debated by congress. D Western Newspaper Union. |