The Wanganui Chronicle. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1939. AMERICAN NEUTRALITY GOES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 257, 31 October 1939, Page 6

The Wanganui Chronicle. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1939. AMERICAN NEUTRALITY GOES

’"J"’ HE United States of America has changed its relations with the rest of the world by the revocation of the famous Neutrality Net. The United States still clings to the. desire to remain out of the war, but it appreciates the fact that neutrality is not enough. The traditional altitude of the American people is to regard themselves as possessing Freedom's Home on Earth, and that the lights between Imperialistic Powers and Monarchies are no concern of theirs. Hitherto such an attitude has been possible chiefly because of the distance which separates America from Europe. With the spanning of the Atlantic by airships, aeroplanes and fast-speed liners, however, the geographical isolation of the United States has undergone considerable limitation. Coincident with this development in transportation has come about an alteration in the economy of the United States. In 1895 the last frontier was dissolved by the settling of the Cherokee strip, and instead of absorbing her increasing population by the taking up of new land, it became necessary from that time on to develop the export trades. The Great War changed America from a debtor to a creditor country and. consequently, the members of her successive Governments have been conscious that America's isolation has become a thing of the past geographically, economically and financially. America's political policy, therefore, perforce underwent, a change. The. great, depression only accentuated America's consciousnss of her dependence upon the rest of the world for her internal healthiness. Notwithstanding this close association with Europe—which is America's best customer—the American isolationist attitude was so deeply ingrained that even these cogent facts could not override it altogether, anil partly out of traditional thought and partly out of a desire to avoid the inconveniences of a war which are complicated and singular by reason of its polyglot population and responsibilities—America fashioned lor herself a neutrality policy. America's neutrality policy came into full flower at the lime of the operation of sanctions against Italy. Having declined to become a member of the League of Nations, and co-operating with other nations in deciding in any conflict which State was the aggressor, and subsequently taking a stand against the aggressor State. America was compelled to consider her position when Italy .prepared to attack Ethiopia. On August 31. 1935, the Neutrality Act was passed, which went right beyond the limits of neutrality by prohibiting the shipment of arms and munitions and the making of loans to belligerents. These prohibitions applied, however, to both parties irrespective of the merits of the case. In April. 1937. the Neutrality Act was extended by authorising the President, if in his judgment the emergency called for it. to forbid the export of “certain articles or materials’’ when necessary to promote the. security or preserve the peace of the United Slates. These articles appeared to be those goods which in wartime are adjudged to be contraband of war, such as the raw materials of the war industries. Thus was American isolation preserved. It might be said with a good show of justification that the I nited States has been prompted by selfish motives in abandoning her Neutrality Law. It is clear that if America cannot trade with Europe during the continuance of the conflict, then her population will suffer severely from the loss of trade and employment. Her economy has been running at very low levels —the pump-priming policy of the New Deal has proved a failure —and the American people, have been made aware of their dependence on European prosperity. To view the European market going smash, and witli it the chances of American recovery, could hardly have been accepted with indifference. To regard America as wholly motivated by business considerations. however, would not be correct. The expansion movement of Germany and the persecution of the .lews has created inside America a strong resentment against Hitlerism and a favourable atmosphere for Fronee and the United Kingdom, whose efforts at preserving peace have been transparently sincere. Public opinion in America has. consequently, been reinforced by the resentment of those associated with ihe persecuted sections in Europe, and by those economic considerations which weigh so heavily with a country that is seeking a way to solve an unemployment problem running into millions of men. The American people, were also aware that the success of Hitlerism in Europe would only mean its extension to the western side of the Atlantic. Hitler has made it plain that democracies are not to be tolerated. It is therefore clear that France and the United Kingdom are to-day fighting America’s battle of to-morrow. In such circumstances it would be ungracious, indeed 't would be blindness, for America to cling to an isolationist policy which aided a potential enemy and impeded actual defenders.