AMERICA AND THE WORLD

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24535, 18 March 1943, Page 2

AMERICA AND THE WORLD

The mere appearance before the United States Senate of a set of resolutions proposing collaboration with the other democracies after the war in stabilising peace makes an historic occasion. The four sponsors represent the two great parties. The mover, Senator Joseph Ball, of Minnesota, is a Republican, yet no Democrat could have spoken more plainly about the refusal to endorse the League of Nations plan after the last war, or about the consequences of that act. Unfortunately it was the Republican quarrel with the Wilson peace policy which caused its failure. The resolutions seek to avert any repetition of that happening. For that alone they are of transcendent importance. Their value in paving tin; way to a better understanding among the United Nations is sufficiently attested by the mover's able speech. It offers the determined isolationists, whose opposition has already been announced and who are blind to the dismal lessons of the past two decades, a difficult problem in answering the main points. But the resolutions are also noteworthy for another feature. The leading statements of principle in the past, from which American foreign policy has derived its traditions, have come from Presidents. Washington's farewell message embodied a warning to "steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world." Jefferson expressed himself even more strongly on the same point. Monroe enunciated the doctrine of the permanent status quo in the American Continent. Now the Senate is asked to join this distinguished company, but to reverse the precedents set. There is probably significance, as there is certainly potential ' value, in the proposed shift of the initiative.