Evening Star Newspaper, January 10, 1937, Page 27

Editorial Page Spec Part 2—10 Pages ROOSEVELT’S ABOVE ial Articles AIM PEACE NEUTRALITY 'Administration Holds Discretionary Law More Effective in Preventing Involving of U. BY CONSTANTINE BROWN. ¥ THE counsels of the wise men of the administration prevail, the new legislation to, replace the existing neutrality bill, which ex- pires on May 1, will no longer be called a neutrality act, but “an act to keep the United States out of war.” ‘The experiences gained during and after the last war have shown clearly that there is no such thing as a water- tight neutrality. Consequently, the scope of the new bill must concern itself less with actual neutrality and more with the best means of keeping this country out of trouble. In these days when subtlety reigns supreme in international affairs; when pacts and agreements are signed by rulers of nations voluntarily, but with strong | mental reservations regarding their application, the President and the Congress of the United States are en- deavoring sincerely to avoid entangle- ments. our legislators are now in accord with the executive branch of the ad- ministration—that the danger of a war is greater today than it has been at any time in the last few years. Members of the Senate and the House have reached this opinion through searching investigations and confi- dential reports of Americans trained for long years in observing and analyzing developments with a critical and unbiased judgment. ¢ Here are some of the conclusions: Europe is facing a cataclysm because 1t has blundered into it. On the sur- face, the chief cause of this impending tragedy is the fight between two po- litical philosophies — communism against fascism. Behind these lofty | ideas hide jealousies and suspicions which the principal powers are nurs- ing against each other. Spain is a typical example. Logically, the Euro- pean powers should have allowed the | Spaniards to fight out their differences as best they could. It should have been & matter of indifference to them whether Franco or the Madrid gov- | . in Conflict. eventually will find its way to one of the warring factions of Spain. But Mr. Cuse was sufficiently cool to say frankly that he intended to send his destructive cargo to Madrid: The ad- ministration took advantage of this flat declaration to point out how un- foreseen situations may arise every time any part of the world is seething with unrest. The case of Mr. Cuse might convince the Congress that only by giving the President a free hand can every conceivable emergency be taken care of adequately. The real fight will come, however, when the new neutrality legislation | designed to replace the existing act is discussed. Neutrality Term Disliked. The administration dislikes the word neutrality—and rightly so. It is diffi- cult to maintain a strict neutrality in the event of a general conflagration. The administration would prefer to have a law to keep the United States out of war. And the best means to achieve this purpose must be left, so the administration thinks, entirely in the hands of the President. The ex- port of arms and ammunition, certain raw materials, credits, the operating of American commercial vessels in the war zones, and the travel of American citizens on foreign ships—all ought to be rigidly controlled by the Govern- ment, but the President should have full power to handle them with a free hand in accordance with develop- ments. It is hoped thus to avoid also a too rigid neutrality law which might unnecessarily cripple America’s foreign trade. It is pointed out by administration spokesmen on Capitol Hill that the mere threat of a mandatory neutrality has already had ill effects on this country’s trade with other nations. Certain countries already have begun to divert their orders because they feel that eventu- ally American resources will be lost to them. ‘Whether these considerations will overcome the reluctance of many Sen- ernment came out on top. Instead, however, all the leading European nations put a finger in the Spanish | pie, favoring one faction against the ators and Representatives to entrust | the President with discretionary pow- ers remains to be seen. For the time | being, there are about as many sug- other, with the result that Franco, | gestions for a water-tight neutrality the Soviets, Italy and Germany now | are at loggerheads over the Iberian | situation. Their latest antagonism has | come to the surface. And while it is | by no means sure that the Spanish civil war will be taken as a pretext for [ an immediate conflagration, the posi- tion adopted by the antagonistic pow- ers is such that it makes a reconcil- jation.among them practically impos- | asible. No Let-up in Arms Race. The armament race is on. Every country is spending much more than | ts budget can afford on military prep- arations. And there is no sign of & let-up. On the contrary, next year Great Britain is going to spend $4.- 000,000,000 on arms. France, this year, is spending no less than 37 per cent of its total budget on national de- fense. The food and the clothes of the German people are being rationed to provide the army and the navy with more and better war supplies. It is true that many European na- tions are war weary. But they are equally weary of paying higher taxes every year—taxes which are being | spent on armaments. And among ?he peoples of many countries, including Prance, were individuals are less anxi- ous to fight, the following philosophy prevails: “Death comes only once and 1t comes quickly. Poverty and starva- tion are slow and may last a life- time” That is why even the most war-weary nations in Europe now are tnclined to “let it go” and put an end to this highly enervating and uncer- tain situation. While Mr. Roosevelt still hopes that he may be able to do something to alleviate the situation and avert an immediate war, he and the Congress desire to erect a strong wall to pro- tect this country. Whatever the feel- ings of the individual Congressman may be in regard to neutrality in civil ‘wars, either a joint resolution or an amendment to the present law which will cover this point will be passed with breakneck speed. The general feeling in both houses is that the sim- plest form would be to give the Chief Executive discretionary powers to ap- ply an embargo on all factions of a nation where there is a civil war. Objection to giving the President unlimited discretionary powers is raised on the ground that this would create a precedent for the new neutral- ity bill. The Congress wants to deter- mine when an insurrection becomes a civil war. In the case of the former there should be no embargo, because this would handicap the recognized authorities in re-establishing law and order. But as soon as a rebellion be- comes a civil war an embargo becomes imperative. And correct definitions in l;lnt;-muonll affairs are difficult to Definitions Are Offered. Bome of the suggestions thus f: offered are: “An insurrection b:' comes civil war when outside powers intervene in the affairs of that na- tlon.” “Insurrection cah be con- sidered as civil war when the insur- recting party is recognized by one or several outside powers.” “An embargo on arms and ammunition must be bill as there are Congressmen. Out of this wealth of ideas, four suggestions are likely to be debated in the course of the next few weeks as the best means to keep America out of war. 1. A complete embargo on every con- ceivable commodity, including Red Cross supplies, to be ordered by the President as soon as the state of bel- ligerency has been declared between two or several powers. All economic and financial intercourse between the United States and the belligerents shall be suspended for the duration of hos- tilities. Americans should be pre- vented traveling on belligerent ships and of course no financial help shall be afforded either directly or indirectly to the warring nations. American Business Faces Loss. Such draconic legislation undoubt- edly would go a long way toward isolat= ing this country from the war germ. It would mean a heavy loss to Ameri- can business, but its advocates say | that it would be worth while for the | citizens of this country to lose one, or even two billion dollars, to avoid the | spending of many billions and the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives be- cause it wants to continue to do busi- ness as usual. Senator Gerald Nye, who is one of the principal exponents of this theory, also is convinced that such a determined attitude on the part of the United States would shorten the duration of hostilities, if it did not altogether deter European nations from fighting again. 2. “Cash and carry” business. Na- tions should be permitted to purchase all they want in this country, with the exception of arms and ammunition, provided they pay cash with Amer- ican currency or gold, and send their own ships to take their purchases from American ports. The propo- nent of this idea, Senator Vanden- berg, believes that such a step would keep America’s neutrality intact, would not interfere with our busi- ness life and would make it difficult for nations without means to start a war. And at this time it is the “have-nots” who are the more likely to start trouble. The chief practical fault with such legislation is that it would fa- vor nations which have control of the seas, or, in plain words, it would give an advantage to Great Britain over Germany and to Japan over Russia. But the Senator from Michigan thinks that it is not our affair as to ‘who has control of the seas. The na- tions which want to go to war ought to take care of every possible emer- gency. 3 Embargo Authority. 3. The President shall be empow=- ered to declare an embargo against all belligerents as soon as hostilities break out. The neutrality bill shall set forth the various commodities which shall come under such a measure, and divide them into differ- ent classes in accordance with their importance. In the first category, of course, shall be arms and ammuni- tion; in the second, raw materials principally needed for the prosecu- tion of war; oil, copper, certain types placed by the Chief Executive in the event of civil disturbances in -a coun- try threatening to involve the United States in an international conflict.” None of these is acceptable to a majority of congressmen. Hence even those most jealous of the prerogatives of the Senate in foreign relations are inclined to be satisfied with laying down certain broed principles and allowing the President the latituge of deciding upon an embargo in accord- ance with his best judgment. It is realized that, after all, the Chief Executive and his principal auxiliary, the State Department, are in a posi- tion to examine the foreign situation day by day and decide when an em- bargo should be applied. ‘The case of the second-hand arms dealer, Robert Cuse of New Jersey, ‘was manna from heaven to the advo- cates of discretionary powers for the President. In the files of the State Department many licenses have been given exporters to send war material to European countries. Officials have no doubt that’ many & shipment L} of motors, etc. In the third group there shall be other commodities which might be useful for the manu- facture of war materials: cotton, sul- phates, possibly wheat. It shall be left to the President’s judgment when an embargo shall be applied and what categories of goods shall be included in the sales prohibition, provided al- ways that the embargo is applied to all belligerents alike. 4. Complete discretionary powers shall be given to the President to pro- claim an embargo against one or the other group of belligerents, giving him latitude to prohibit the export of what- ever raw material he deems necessary. ‘This point of view is represented by the devotees of the White House and has little chance of being accepted. ‘The chief objection of a large number of Congressmen is that it gives the Chief Executive the power to get us he Sundlay Stae EDITORIAL SECTION —_— WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, JANUARY 10, 1937. Japan at Crossroads Next Few Months to Decide Whether the Island Empire Will Follow Hitler and Duce to Fascism or Return to Democracy. The alignment of Japan into op- posing camps on the question of embracing fascism, in the footsteps of Italy and Germany, is described here, with a discussion of the forces involved that are hurrying the nation toward a decision with- in the mert few months, by a widely known American journalist who has spent more than 15 years in the Orient. BY FRANK H. HEDGES. TOKIO.—All of Japan is rapidly falling into one of two opposing camps and girding for a struggle that will determine within the next few months whether this empire is to follow the path taken by the Germany of Adolf Hitler and the Italy of Benito Mussolini, or to return to the ways of the great democratic powers which the nation was endeavoring to follow until its ambitious continental adven=- into a war. It is recalled on the Hill that in 1935 the President was all pre- pared to apply an ofl embargo merely because it would have favored Greal ture was launched at midnight on Sep- tember 18, 1931, with an attack on Mukden. That date marked the eclipse of the political parties and parliamentary government in Japan, and the triumph of the Japanese Army in guiding the empire’s destiny. The course of that guidance and the disturbed and un- comfortable position into which it has led the nation are known. The em- pire of Manchukuo has been brought into existence as an ally of Japan, but the cost of maintaining that em- pire is proving too great for the Japanese nation to bear. It will be decades, if ever, before this “invest- ment” pays. When the balance is struck for the last five years, Japan cannot but be sore at heart. Relations with China are in a worse plight than at any time for decades past, and China has s0 strengthened itself as to be a vegy formidable antagonist now. Soviet Russia is suspicious of the Tokio gov- ernment, and Tokio needs greatly to solve the vexatious border question between Manchukuo and Siberia, to obtain supplies of Russian oil, iron, coal and other raw materials. It needs to allay Russian fears so that the huge military machine Moscow has created in the Russian Far East will no longer be a threat to Japanese safety. Russia and China Alienated. By concluding with Germany the ideological pact aimed at communism, Japan has alienated not only Soviet Russia and China, but has aroused the suspicions and ill will of every other power save Germany and Italy. Friction between the Rritish Empire and Japan had been steadily growing for more than a year, in large part because of trade competition in vari- ous quarters of the globe and in large part because of Japanese action and Britain in the Mediterranean against Ttaly. There is a deep impression among many Senators and Represent- atives that the administration is too much inclined to play with what our legislators call “the League of Nations powers” and that any favoritism shown to any country of that group would inevitably lead us into trouble. These are the main ideas which are being discussed daily by the majority of our Congressmen. They all have their advantages and their weak points. One thing is common among them all—that some real legislation must be passed forthwith to keep this country, as far as it is humanly possi- TRICK RIDER OF THE EAST. policy in China. That friction has now been greatly intensified. Relations between the United States and Japan has been steadily improv- ing for nearly four years, and there is no crucial point at issue between them today, yet the possibility that this na- tion may go Fascist has caused Amer- ica to look more cautiously at Japa- nese foreign and domestic policies. Holland, ever bearing in mind its wealthy colony of the Dutch East In- dies, has long been uneasy regarding Japanese intentions in that direction, and the “southward expansion” slogan of the Japanese Navy is alarming to ‘The Hague, even though Tokio hastens to explain that this expansion will be purely economic, apparently failing to realize that Holland has no more de- ONE-HOUSE LEGISLATURE TEST WATCHED BY U. S. Nebraska Plan Stirs Proposals for Sim- ilar Action in 26 Other States—Norris Sees Spread of Idea. BY RAY MACKLAND. INCOLN.—For the eyes of a na- tion to watch, the State of Nebraska this week drew the curtain on an innovation in American Government, the unicameral Legislature. ‘The Nebraska experiment may well prove the forerunner of a Nation-wide trend. In 26 other States, the one- house plan already has been proposed. In New York there was renewed agita- tion this week for a one-house Legis- lature as a result of the deadlock over election of a speaker by the Repub- lican-controlled Assembly. Legislative commissions have been named in several States to come to Nebraska to observe the proving ground tests. More probably will be commis- sioned as other Legislatures meet. United States Senator George W. Norris, godfather of the unicameral Legislature, thinks his fledgling will grow into a lusty infant. “Not rapidly, but gradually,” he believes, “and first in those States which have referendum provisions for amending their consti- tutions.” Aim, Better Law Making. ‘The unicameral Legislature was con- ceived on the theory and hope that a better method of law making could be found. Simplification and clarification of law making, and elimination of partisan politics, is its aim. To say that members of the first unicameral Legislature are cognizant of the attention of which they are the center is putting jt mildly. It is flattering and deeply gratifying, but also productive of many cases of stage fright. The 43 members are elected on & ‘non-portisan basis. Actually, the unicameral Legislature is composed of 22 Democrats and 21 Republicans, & majority of them former State legis- lators who “know the ropes.” The members almost fell over backward in their attempts to emphasize the absence of politics in election of uni- cameral officers. Charles J. Warner, beginning his thirteenth term, was elected speaker, Likewise, the belief that harmony is needed to demonstrate to the Nation the value of a oifé-house set- up, lends hope for a short session devoid of much of the customary small-time political bickering. Con- troversies and controversial subjects probably will be kept at a minimum. Nebraska is very much interested in what the world thinks of its experi- ble. out of another war. And on this | ment. point there is no discordant note be- tween the legislative and the executive branch of the administration, (Copyrisht, 1037.) A member pointed out that, unlike seen pre-session gatherings before when not more than a handful of members had given five minutes serious thought to even the most im- portant matters they knew they were going to have to decide.” Most Nebraskans are heartily in favor of the unicameral plan, if for no other reason than the wide pub- licity it is giving their State. But the State is not without its skeptics, and many have been the warnings sounded for the benefit of members of the first one-house. President J. G. Mothersead of the Nebraska Bar Association has warned that a too great desire to accomplish something big might prove the Legis- lature’s downfall. The unicameral Legislature has had a big “build-up” and has been told that the eyes of the Nation are upon it, he explains. Under these conditions, he believes, there 1s grave danger that “much pres- sure will be brought to bear to make a laboratory of the State of Nebraska.” “Let the new unicameral Legisla- ture bear this fact in mind—the suf- fering of the guinea pig in the lab- oratory may be of benefit to the rest of the world, but is of no particular benefit to the guinea pig,” he points out. ‘The primary obligation of the Leg- islature, says Mothersead, is to Ne- braska and not to other States that may benefit by experimentations in Nebraska. Others may benefit by Ne- braska's mistakes, but only Nebraska will suffer, he warned. He fears that members of the uni- cameral Legislature may be afraid they will be considered a failure if they do not do something new and revo- lutionary. Con McCarthy, manager of the Ne- braska Farmers’ Union State Ex- change, fears that farmers: have lost with n of the new plan. ©Of 43 members, cnly 11 are farmers, Fewer Farmers in House. “Nebraska farm districts used to have strong representation in the legislature and found it fairly res- ponsive to farm sentiment,” asserts McCarthy. “But there aren't nearly 80 many farmers in this one-house system.” . One unicameral member, during a debate on a proposal to remove five rows of seats, which will not be needed because of the legislature's reduced size, opposed it with the statement: “This one-house legislature may not be here more than a few years.” Togarded as- capable, a5 & Wiolp A, sire to lose markets than political control. By withdrawal from the League of Nations Japan isolated itself from the world, and it was in part to break this isolation that the pact with Germany was concluded. The result was to iso- late the empire more than ever, and at the same time to bring the coun- try back in a measure into the whirl- pool of European politics after its period of concentration on Eastern Asiatic affairs. Foreign Trade Expanded. ‘The balance sheet is not entirely ad- verse, for Japan's foreign trade has expanded greatly during this period, and there has been something closely resembling & boom in business and industry in this country. This semi- boom can be traced directly, however, to the feverish activity of the army and the navy to increase their strength, which has Tesulted in the placing of large orders with plants dealing in war materials and allied products. As such, is is essentially an artificial prosperity, made possible through the expenditure of govern- ment funds, provided through taxa- tion and the flotation of swollen gov- ernment bond issues on the domestic market. Gloomy as the picture of Japan’s foreign relations just painted may be, when the people of the empire turn their eyes inward they see even less cause for rejoicing and optimism. The government has drafted and approved a budget for the fiscal year beginning April 1 that totals 3,041,000,000 yen ($851,480,000 at present rates of ex- change), an enormous figure for a country no wealthier than is Japan. In order to meet the demands of this budget, nearly half of which is to be devoted to military and naval ex- penditures, there must be drastic in- creases in many forms of taxation. ‘Tobacco prices already have gone up about 20 per cent, tobacco in Japan being a government monopoly. Post- age rates, both domestic and foreign, are to be boosted. The interest paid on postal savings deposits is to be lowered, and this is the form in which the small savings of virtually all Jap=- anese save the wealthy are kept. ‘These taxes and price boosts are all of a nature that affects the little man directly. The farmer, the day laborer, the clerk in the department store and the stenographer in the office thus will be made to feel the in- creased cost of government in a very immediate and personal way, and every one of them is fully conscious that this higher cost of living is in order to supply the Japanese Army with still more funds to spend on still greater armaments. ‘The effect of the budget and other (Continued on Eighth Page. more responsible group than many previous legislators. While the mem- bership cannot from any standpoint While the unicameral legislature met for the first time in the former House of Representatives chamber, across the wide rotunda of Nebraska's magnificent capitol building, the $4,500 carved doors of the former Senate chamber stood ajar. A half dozen young women taking cos- metology examinations, bent industri- ously over desks that were intended for legislators. Otherwise, the chamber,” with its thick, luxurious carpets, inlaid tile, gold ceiling and heavy drapes, was significantly 3 (Copyright, 1937, by the North American Newspaper Alliadey 1ned PRICE OF PEACE FOR U. S. ISTERMED REAL BARGAIN Mandatory Neutrality Law Is Urged by Senator Clark—Would Limit Powers of BY BENNETT CHAMP CLARK, U. 8. Senator from Missouri. BELIEVE the people of the United States are more interested in keeping our country out of war | than almost any other one thing. In fact, I have never seen such a unanimity of sentiment on any one question. Most people realize that some sacri- fices must be made if we are to do this. Certainly all who have thought about its possibilities do. ‘To accomplish it we must cheer-| fully sacrifice the chance for quick | and big profits, the possible temporary | expansion of our exports and resulting | employment at good wages for persons who might otherwise engage in mak- ing war exports. We must deprive American ships of cargoes that would pay excellent freight rates. We must deprive American bankers and investors of profitable commissions and high in- terest investments. We must not per- mit American insurance companies to underwrite war risks, no matter how attractive the rates. In the long run, I am sure it will be cheaper—that every one concerned in America will be better off—even financially—to say nothing about hu- man suffering, loss of life and the other horrible consequences of our being dragged into another war. It was profitable exports, the high interest loans, the war risk insurance; yes, even universal employment at high wages and high prices for our farm products which dragged us into the World War in 1917 and is also largely responsible for the depression and agony from which we are emerg- ing. Must Pay the Price. ‘We want something which is very real and very dear to our people— peace—and we must be willing to pay comforted by the fact the price rep- resents a real bargain. neutral activities come home to roost almost inevitably. There are two schools of thought about the best way to go about neu- trality legislation. One is to permit the President to exercise discretion, not only as to what may not be ex- ported following the outbreak of any war which threatens to involve the United States, but as to which nations may and which nations may not re- ceive war supplies decided to be con- traband. My own belief, and I think that of a majority of the Senate and House, is that the less discretion vested in any governmental agency the better. We must have a fact-finding authority, and that authority should be the Pres- ident. We must leave to his judg- ment the decision of when a war threatens to involve the neutrality of the United States. That is a fact- finding function. Some one has to do it. The President is the proper person, But to give the President discretion, for example, as to which is the ag- gressor in this war which may arise is a very dangerous power, Its exercise would be an act of war. Its exercise would tend to drag the United States ln': the conflict rather than keep it ou! Terrific Pressure Likely. Moreover, such a discretionary power ‘would subject the President needlessiy, to terrific pressure. Every possible in~ | fluence would be brought to bear on | him to hold that nation A was the aggressor, and, therefore, we should | permit shipments to nation B. I can- not exaggerate this, for I think the pressure would be overwhelming and intolerable. It will be bad enougn even on the question of fact finding— of deciding when a war threatens to involve our neutrality. Such permissive legislation, more- over, leads us directly into the League of Nations by the back door route. If we are going to join the League of Nations in the interest of world peace, we should go in the front door. We have a perfect illustration of the folly of this permissive policy in the recent Italo-Ethiopian mess, when Premier Laval of France and Sir Samuel Hoare attempted to coerce Italy by the threat of cutting off her supplies of oil. Mussolini replied that such a blockade would be an act of war and intimated what might hap- pen to the British fleet in the Medi- terranean. France and Britain backed down, with considerable loss of pres- tige. Permissive neutrality legislation leads inevitably to sanctions, and we know just how dangerous sanctions are. ‘The argument against any embargo of war supplies, especially arms, ammunition and the implements of ‘war—the language used in the pres- ent temporary law—is that manufac- turers thinking of this profitable busi= ness will thereupon locate their plants the price for it; though we can be| The quick | profits of war exports and other un- | President. in other countries, possibly countries against which some day the United States may engage in war, and that as a result, when that war comes, the enemy country will have a tre mendous advantage over us. New Inventions Cited. This argument is followed up by the allegation that, in the process of carrying on the munitions business, discoveries are made, new inventions worked out, all of which tend to give the country in which these things happen a big advantage. The answer is simple. When we got |into the World War the tremendous facilities for munition making which war exports had built up from 1914 to 1917 were nothing like adequate for our purposes. Whereas, the mu- nitions makers blocked and delayed the efforts of the Government to aug- ment those facilities, notably in the case of the Old Hickory plant in Ten= nessee, Answering the second point—with respect to new inventions, secret for- mulas, etc.—we brought out in a Sen- ate committee hearing that, with the approval of military and naval ine telligence, our private munitions mak- ers were actually encouraged to sell | their secret formulas and inventions to Russia and Japan. The difficulty about getting started in quantity production of arms and munitions is the lack of the jigs, dies and tools. Up to today, our War and |Navy Departments have been, ¥ | seemed to me, sadly deficient in this essential. Supply of Dies Needed. A proper supply of jigs, dies and tools would make it possible for any factory to begin turning out, with | little delay, the sort of rifle or other weapon or ammunition desired. Dure |ing the World War, most of our sol- diers used an inferior rifle because the munitions makers did not have the dies, jigs and tools to permit their | manufacturing Springfields, which | were an _infinitely superior rifie—in fact the best in the world. We begged, borrowed and stole about twenty Springfields for our reg- iment and gave them to our sharp= shooters. Had there been a reserve ‘sv,ock of dies, jigs and tools in the Springfield and Rock Island Arsenals we could have put all sorts of factories to work making this better rifle. The Government is spending a very | small amount to supply this lack. Last | year I introduced an amendment to give $15,000,000 for this purpose. It was defeated, and every indication was | that, for reasons of their own, the { War and Navy Departments were ace ;umly opposing the appropriation. They did not want to discourage the private manufacture of munitions. In fact, they wanted to encourage it. And this notwithstanding the fact that X had been assured by the war plans di= vision that $15,000,000 could be very usefully spent in this connection! One of the great difficulties in pute ting more teeth into the new neutrale ity law is how broad to make the ace tual naming of contraband articles. The present law prohibits exports of “‘arms, ammunition and implements of war” That should stand. There should be no discretion about that. After that, I think commodities should be divided into categories. Different Categories Urged. For instance, copper, manganese and steel should be in a category well up in the list after arms and ammunie jon. Whereas, foodstuffs and cotton | Should be in another category. | My own thought is that this last category, foodstuffs and cotton, should be on a strictly cash-and-carry basis. And I mean “strictly.” They should not move to the belligerents on Amer- ican ships. They should not be ine sured by American insurance come panies. In short, after being loaded on foreign vessels in our ports, there should be no risk whatever to any American interest. What did the foreign buyers care back in the early days of the World War when our own Government set up a war risk insurance corporation? If the ship was torpedoed Uncle Sam paid the bill. But, primarily, the American flag must be taken off munitions ships! I would not be content with warn- ing American citizens not to travel on belligerent vessels. I would make the forfeiting of the passports the penalty for such traveling, one of the most dangerous possibilities of rousing public sentiment against one of the belligerents which could exist. It was the lives lost on the Lusitania which enraged so many in this coun= try, not the loss of the vessel nor her cargo; lives of American citizens who, under my idea of what the law should be, would be kept off bellige erent vessels. (Copyright, 1037, by the North American Newspaper Alliance. tnc.) BY WILLIAM BIRD. ARIS.—France’s opposition par- ties are in much the same position as the Republican party in the United States. ‘They are still trying without success to find the weak spot in the adminis- tration’s armor. g As during the recent American presidential campaign, they thought they had found the weak spot in the gigantic budget deficit. The French deficit is proportionately larger than the American, and the French race, as a whole, having none of the happy- go-lucky spirit that characterizes America, but, on the contrary, being traditionally cautious and thrifty, it ‘was thought that exposing the “reck- lessness” of the government’s finan- cial policy would start an avalanche of protest. Nothing of the kind is happening. ‘The public, when politicians start talking about billions in debts, shrugs its shoulders and inquires about the ‘weather. Rising prices probably will be the next point of attack, and here the opposition would seem to be on more favorable ground. Retail prices have gone up between 20 and 25 per cent since May 1, and are still rising. The Bousebolder, for msny artices o ‘ 1] “Opposition” in F rance Likened To Weakened G. O.P.Causein U. S. everyday consumption, such as milk, sugar, coffee, meat and vegetables, as well as coal and oil, feels the pinch very acutely. Some classes of people have had corresponding increases in wages, of course. But it is to be feared that this issue will not prove to be the Achilles heel of the Blum administration. Much as the Frenchman dislikes to psy more for his bread and meat, he considers that, in Germany today conditions are worse than they are here. Not only are food prices higher, but ration cards are now being distributed to the Ger- man pedple, a condition reminiscent of war. If one looks back on the issues that have decided French elections in the past, it will be seen that almost never has the result turned on a financial or economic question, and it would seem to be hopeless for the opposition today to attempt to sway the public | with such arguments. New Orchids Found. ‘Two orchids hitherto unknown to science have been found near Mount Sturgeon in North Queensland by sa expedition lead by the Queensland