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Show LyrK NATJDNAL TOPICS INTERPRETED NATIONAL- PRESS BLDG. WASHINGTON, D.C. only change being the placement of Italy on tiie opposite side of the fence from where that nation stood in 1914. Hut let not the fact that the alignment differs only because of Italy's position be minimized. It Is the most Important of the combination combi-nation that has developed in Europe. The nv situation, Insofar as Great Britain is concerned, means that In case of a France Backs clash In the Med-Britain Med-Britain iterranean between be-tween the forces of Mussolini and the British there will be French support. It means, therefore, that Mussolini hardly dare disturb the concentration of British Brit-ish warships around the Suez. To do so would call down upon his head not only the shells of the British fleet but those of the French as well. For the French, the revived un- evj Washington. Congress, again. . ,l'as given a fine illustration of how ': a horse goes up to Neutrality the jump, then y. a Shell fails to take It. It faltered on the oni5Utrality question. True, congress I k-is re-enacted for another year the ;al j;.'2utrality law that was put through ng n'ader pressure a year ago but it 'otl'e !d not have the necessary cour-fta;?e cour-fta;?e to go into that question and :t'M:ork out anything of a permanent Q 'tiaracter. The result, I am con-nced, con-nced, Is that as soon as there Is ly excuse whatsoever, neutrality Squyr the United States will be noth-ot noth-ot ig but a shell. of c i do not know, nor do I believe Mt eiaybody can tell at this juncture raws whether the United States ought to fft.nbark on a rigid policy Of Isola-llne Isola-llne on from affairs of the world but of;iat Is a question that Is subordi- ite at this moment. The point is n- tat congress, a year ago, made a derstanding with Great Britain gives support against the slow flow of Hitler lava Into the Rhlneland which was demilitarized by the Treaty of Versailles at the end of the World war. The French are very touchy about the Rhlneland and any attempt by Germany to fortify the territory makes French nerves very jittery. It is only natural, nat-ural, then, that the French look ' upon the agreement with London as an assurance of security in event Hitler should strike In the Rhlneland. Through it all, foreign advices Indicate In-dicate that British fists are gradually gradu-ally being doubled up against Hitler. Hit-ler. This Is true notwithstanding the fact that the new King Edward VIII is trying to be friendly with Germany. Foreign dispatches and private advices explain that there is a notable recurrence among the Rritish of discussion recalling German Ger-man atrocities In the World war. Slowly but surely throughout England Eng-land the old hatred is arising. On the northern frontier of Germany Ger-many there Is a new line of steel. The Communistic state of Russia y ftt 'eat show of neutrality and put ighti a second stage performance on- b lately with the same theme song, nee it has backed away from the v al issue' it begins to appear that "te original action was but hollow . ckery; that the politicians jved a year ago with the thought vgj mind that they would not have ?k3 go on record so soon and that Jey could make the country feel had elected statesmen. But, in-f in-f ead, their course had led them to umlne point where a decision had to relieve made and they have dodged it. romoliOne of the reasons why this neu-ility neu-ility question has become so lm-V"ff"Trtant lm-V"ff"Trtant is the combination of cir j 1 ? mstances that has developed in 22lroPe- The maneuvers have put . r congress on the spot and it, lforth:e 80 nlany Prevlous times, again lut Lit3 wavered- hdro ls di,Iicult t0 ftlrec!ist wnilt ls lng to happen in Europe but ere are certain signs and por-its por-its that may not be Ignored. His- 'CER'S ' as we a" '?now- 'ias a habit SALSi rePeating Itself and it promises i-stopiik repeat itself In a hurry this time. ?andFeLet us look at the European pic-!3Btpa5'.;'e- "ie one nan(3 we have an - Ideal fcgnm en t of France and England BalsBmiij probably Russia. On the lymailon . , PatchofJer, we see Hitlenzed Ger- ny, Austria and haly. There i been nothing more tangible is far than a baring of fangs. S tat is, no overt acts have been iSmmitted but it always has been d: case that the snarling and sliow-"iffSt sliow-"iffSt of teeth has provided the set-g, set-g, the atmosphere, for more seri-9 seri-9 cautc-3 nccl1sations. It may never hap-lt, hap-lt, acid , h as c11 Germany or Austria or ( ly will take steps which France iSCOW Russia could regard as an Inva-Fafersn Inva-Fafersn of national rights and then, y-likeK1'"' any one of tllera at any time in solid T accidentally or deliberately do o takerne minor thing that would pro-ualtoatse pro-ualtoatse hostilities, ignesia. i looks with disfavor upon the Nazi. My Information Is that it would take very little to provoke trouble there. Altogether, the situation is one where, if a stone rolls down a mountain moun-tain side. It could very easily become be-come the detonation cap that would explode an ammunition dump. With these? facts In mind, one can understand readily the gravity of the relations between the United Unit-ed States and the rest of the world. One can understand as well why congress was rather anxious to avoid legislation of a broader scope In International affairs than already al-ready was operative. Yet, this does not alter the fact that ifi congress had no intention of establishing a real neutrality policy, it should not I have embarked on a course de- signed to that end. It was either engaging in a game of fooling the public a year ago or It has Just now demonstrated a most cowardly attitude. Now to get back home, we observe ob-serve a maneuver by President Roosevelt to link Roosevelt's North and South Maneuver American nations into a new agreement. agree-ment. While none of our officials will say that this move has any connection with European development, develop-ment, I believe that observers generally gen-erally are of the opinion that it has an Important bearing on the situation situ-ation beyond the Atlantic. It ought to be helpful In keeping the United States out of that mess or, If the future forces us Into it and, in the meantime, there Is a sound arrangement ar-rangement worked out between nations na-tions of the western hemisphere, their combined strength ought to put an end to European strife more quickly than If those European nations na-tions were left to fight It out alone. In other words, if Mr. Roosevelt can work out a binding agreement between all the nations of the western west-ern hemisphere, they can exert a tremendous Influence. This Influence will carry further than on the homeland of any of the countries now Involved in the European Euro-pean case of Jitters. It possibly may extend to the point of becoming becom-ing the balance of power In the settlement set-tlement of colonial disputes between be-tween the central powers and the newly re-established allies. European Euro-pean Interests in South America are Important and if our South American neighbors have the Important Im-portant weight of the United States on their side, they will be In a position, po-sition, for the first time, to force proper adjustment of colonial rights In the western hemisphere insofar as those colonial rights are concerned con-cerned In sett'ement of European differences. Western Newspaper Union. eel, tliejriie chpf significance of the re-througt.t0( re-througt.t0( anment 0f Italy with Oer-ure Oer-ure fluid . , . , astenrf , many and Al,strla ited feelit NeW ls tliat the Cen-L Cen-L Alignment tral Powers, as hotuW: tn?y st00(J In 1014' ctively, we been augmented by the landbagccngth of Fascist Italy. It means isapproiit the Germany of 1014 has ac-if ac-if magnet to tiie North sea and the Medl-;commenr!lnpnn Medl-;commenr!lnpnn jnsten(j of jlSt tne North ious, eft as occurred 20 years ago. ewafersn0,p,e(j witn thflt fnet ,g tlle con. "reetorcfion of a better defense for the request ihtral Powers. If the agreement . Select fvveen Germany and Italy sticks, sland Cillr)1nny lflg ony tlg western anl ;5e&$lssinn fronts to maintain. It al-j)0?leis al-j)0?leis for a more compact military 9 )gram because, Instead of guard- 20c ti" a);;linst Ita,y on tl,e So,ltl1. Ger-2U Ger-2U .ny lias an ally in that direction - ram which sources of supply can siiiJiN established. 4sr'-r he fresh understandings worked between Franco and England 7-r,J?1lly are nothing more than a res-:ji'l';ni res-:ji'l';ni Tlin of the arrangement that ,gnesiated in the World war. The -"""""fish, on the surface at least, have compact with Russia but the SSHnch have a very definite agree-,T agree-,T HOSTE-Tt with the Soviet. It seems L. -"ly, therefore, that If hostilities ightfullynld break out again, the British iiuierni111! the Soviet will have no dltlicul-n dltlicul-n A In establishing a pact of mutual jfx s a sidelight, it seems to me-SsjfSxt me-SsjfSxt the new developments rather f' i 1' the spotlight on the policies s 1 Pierre Laval, former French for-C for-C 1 1 minister. M. Laval. It will be 5 lembered, was ousted because of , . J0d pro - Italian policies. He S ght for months to maintain -ndslilp between France and Ita-because Ita-because he feared to do other-j other-j e would result in alignment of ..jjssflnl with Hitler. The bulk of Olid' French parliament disagreed nO h llinl' noweTer- arul M- Laval i$3jZ. I replaced by Foreign Minister Scpiarc i';ndin- "'l?'lj!llPow'EuroPe has seen the prompt farinl'1'1,r,!erti0n Of MuSSOli nl from the " c"uniJ 'nch skle flnd his alignment with th" ,,1.0 ler- eVl,y: '. the old picture has been put ioni"5",Gther again In Europe with the hosted |