1941-02-08 — Page 7

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THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 8, 1941

CHINA MAIL

-WINDSOR HOUSE

AFTER BENGHAZI |

The

do not find it at all difficult to understand, with my heart, the isolationists. for I am, like every other American, by instinct In view of the whirl-one myself. The whole of Ameri- wind series of victories in and collective record of the

can history has been an individual the British advance west-empts of this country to cut it-

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at-

self loose from the Old World. ward-Sidi Barrani, Bar- Every single American, except the Indian, is the child or the dia, Tobruk and Derna descendant of an immigrant, and nearly every one of those immi- it comes as no surprise grants came to this country to get that General Wavell had away from Europe-to get away from its caste systems, from its no little trouble with economic disadvantages, from its Benghazi. Marshal Gra.. compulsory military services, from its racial or political persecutions, ziani lacked any plan. and from its perpetual wars. His troops were demoralis- ed.

Nearly half of his army has been captured

Hitler is the last hope of the Italians. If he and Mussolini did not evolve a plan to save the floun- dering African Empire

During our entire history, there- fore, we have had an uneasy re- lationship with Europe

the

more uneasy because, in spite of

thing, we remain intrinsically a European civilisation. The stream of economic and intellectual life has continually commingled. Fin- ance and trade have tied us more closely to Europe and to the col- onies and nations that represent

European settlement, than to any in their talk recently, other part of the globe. Marshal Graziani's pro- blem is hopeless.

cably

Our intellectual life is inextr- intermingled with the thought of Europe. Before this present crisis there was no part Hitler might yet save of Europe in which 1 civilised Italy if he can cripple the American could not find men and

women who had read the same

Royal Navy in the West-books, listened to the same music. ern Mediterranean. Brit-been trained in identical sciences

and commanded the same ideas. ish warships have played a vital role in the advance so far, transporting sup- plies and pounding the Italian positions with heavy shells. Even serious interference with work could check British onrush.

Yet, when we went to Europe. even those of us born here of

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native-born fathers felt that were going back-returning to something left behind and rea- their lised that to want to leave Europe the behind has been an American urge

for a century and a half.

Of

for and

Who among us who has travell ed and lived in Europe has not German bombers, oper-felt that overwhelming surge ating from Sicily, have homesickness, that longing

the casual, candid, irone damaged two British war-homely speech of one's fellows; ships already, but it will for the crumbling stone walls and

take much greater des- the white wooden

black-eyed Susans of Vermont; for

houses and

truction to rescue the Ital-austere Puritan churches of New ians. And the challenging energy. the dirt and clegance of England: for the elamour and

sweep by Admiral Sir Chicago, for the unsubstantial Andrew Cunningham's me of New York skyscrap- ers at dusk? Who has not feit squadron this week seems to furnish the answer to any worries on this ac- count.

All-out German aid to

Italy's African campaignį might mean a Nazi occu-

Instinct Of Isolation

(cars smart behind his eyes for, fornia? And, above all, for the the remembrance c. an airport, wideness of this handsome land; bright, cozy, friendly in the dark for the space; loneliness of the Arizona desert? room to turn around in; for the for the feeling of For the endless waving wheat feeling that one is the citizen of a continent, and no mean pro- vince?

By Dorothy Thompson

made us Americans, instead of

New Englanders, New Germans, New Scandinavians, New sians, or what not.

Rús-

never will.

the fact of this uneasy, and never Yet, the fact of the matter is-

Europe that we never have got- solved American relation to ten away, and we Every war that has involved the whole of Europe and the Atlantic Our isolationists

men like Ocean has eventually involved us. Senator Wheeler and Senator Taft Every revolution that has occurred -are expressing something deep has involved us. Every scientific. fields of the great plains; for the is an instinct that has been pro-has spread in Europe has affect- in the American instinct, and it industrial and social change that soft Negro voices of the South; ductive, too. For it was the urgeed us. Every for the spacious blueness of Cali- to get away and stay away that and economic institution we have political, social,

Is a modification of a European institution, and our modifications have, in turn, modified those of Europe. We are actually part and parcel of a single civilisation and we have never been able to Change that fact,

Ideals And Realities

pation of Spain and baigo” against Soviet Russia is friendly acquaintance, might con- tish aid. In many practical places

or

gone

the procure

necessary

This matter of the American relationship to Europe has got to be settled. It has got to be set- tled once and for all-or once and for several centuries to come. And It cannot be settled in the man- ner in which it has been settled hitherto by brief and periodic interventions in Europe, afler which we pulled out, and tried to resume our traditional half or three quarters isolation. America has come of age; it 15 no longer in any sense a colony of Europe; it is, instead, the largest, most numerous, most productive, and richest single nation of western civilisation.

It cannot be pushed back into a colonial status by 21 Eurasia united under Hitler's sword, and it cannot be shut off from Europe and assigned "a sphere of in- fluence" in North and Central America by the Fuehrer of Ger- many, either.

The sphere of influence this country wants-if it wants

any sphere of influence short of equa- lity of rights on the whole planet -it will certainly choose for it- self. It isn't going to be laid down for America in any blue- print designed in Berlin, Moscow, Rome, Tokyo, or anywhere else.

No matter what our isolation- ists may wish that is not going to happen, for it is not the way nations of 130,000,000 politically conscious people behave,

ούνη

arms

for

This matter of our relation to Europe finally demands settic- ment, because two wars in it generation are too many, and the The lifting of the "moral em- | such a friend, or at any rate a taking the all-out policy of Bri- very issue of isolation and inde- This comes home to us when we pendence is what is at stake now, an another Illustration of the Ameri-ceivably prevent Japan attack on Gibraltar. Brit-can government's

from there has long been clamour that decision that creating a scenc one day that America "cannot fight the world realise that the nations of Europe ain has no other fleet the devil must be fought with fire would divert westward the flow at once," should play a game of to-day are undergoing their wars

instead of with firmament.

of British-ald armament effort. separatism in the Far East, and, if ain is having much the same ex- for independence, and Great Brif- base in the Western Med- For a long time the President That presence might help to im- stern with Japan, should be con- perience as we had in 1776 when iterranean and Gibraltar and the State Department stub- mobilise Japan and thus reduce ciliatory with the Soviet.

bornly launched ideals against the the risks of assisting Britain to

men and women from all over is useless under bombard-realfiles of the

If was different before the war Europe interested in their world situation,| the utmost "short of war." For

their ment from Algeciras. Now this course appears to have Berlin there is no point in bringin Europe: in 1923, for instance, independence added

Secretary Hughes the way of "neutrality," ing the United States into war if

denounced to ours. The const of Scotland Without a base, the Brit-though the words of diplomacy the Fur Eastern situation remains

Samuel Gompers proposals for to-day is being defended by 70,- Soviet recognition and charged 000 Poles, who are fighting ish fleet would have to will continue to glow with idealis-in status quo.

tic sentiments.

Moscow with sins against de- the independence of Britain in move East

All this great result will not Soviet Russia, by the flat of the be accomplished by the gesture of could be repeated and amplified go out

mocracy and humanity which order to get their own restored! into the Atlantic. And United States Government, is readmitting

Independent nations can Soviet Russia to to-day.

only "moral" again and the Japanese moral status while keeping Japan not then undertaking to lend its to independence is generally re- The United States was exist in a world where the right when British warships are still "immoral." No longer is beyond the pale. The flow of air- every assistance to one belliger-cognised. In Hitler's division of leave the Western Medit-it immoral for American mamu-

war supplies to Moscow is still ent in a desperate facturers to ship aircraft and

war against the world, the United States might erranean, Marshal Pet-their essential parts, and aeroplane by the export controls.

limited, and can remain shut off, two others who are partners of be graciously assigned the role of In the Japan, Circumstances alter cases, being one of the Master-Nations ain's bargaining power gasoline; to Moscow-if they can

name of national defence needs and to the realistic mind moral—if Hitler gets tired enough-but against the Nazis overilcences. But it is still immoral to fusca these

export the Soviet can continue to be re- embargoes may well be lifted on it happens that we don't want to

commodities. But

even a mere chance this will in be a Master-Nation, spending mur French North Africa goes ship this materink to Tokyo, "face" is a much-coveted indivi- crease the prospect that British-lives, and our substance policing with them.

The Russians for more than a dual and national commodity east aid policy will be carried out fully, other subject peoples, and we are year have bombed no open cities of the Urals. And the President's Always Britain must be and murdered no civilians from administration has now given What new war supplies Russia not standing in line for a part in

the air, as previously in Finland hack to the Soviet some of the in- may now be able to get from the the cast. Not yet. suspicious of Hitler's acti- But the Japanese belong to the ternational face it took away with United States could, of course, be vity in Spain, in the Med-Axis and continue to be engaged the moral embargo,

scized by the Japanese Navy, But this would mean iterranean or in the Bal-

war between The act will grieve many who The unchanged form of the Rus- will recognise in it a form of sp- greatly upset all the strategy of out the reality of interdependence the two nations, which would. But independence cannot rule kans. They cannot allow sian Government, its

enduring pensement, the daring idealists

the Axis, at the Chinese book and nor sanctify the anarchy that re- a Nazi feint to bring down national obligations and what it is who do not fear to fight with cancel one of the greatest present sults in perpetual war. If Ameri- the British guard against og to the citizens in the rest. They will denounce the diploma- the amount of armament we must her resources and her energy

righteousness all devils at once. problems of the American Navy: ca gives her money, her work, invasion. Even lack of these things would have prevented has passed without mass murder blea of our own in the Pacille. tions in western civilisation, she Moscow grabbed from Polandtic pretence that, because a year reserve from Britain against trou-secure the independence of na- German action, such as stubbornly idealistic government by Moscow, Moscow. It's essen- Therefore, viewed from any angle has also got to see to it this his failure to attack Gib But Washington has become more flllblaned ones may even ficlude to Moscow is practical, may be adopts one American idea the from malting the instant gesture fully reformed. Some of these dis- gave that of idealism, the gesture time, that continental Europe raltar, must be feared as practical and is looking for friends advocates of unlimited aid to effective, and once more sub-idea without which this contin

ngalf, What more useful friend | Great Britain regardless of con could be found than one sitting sequefices in the Bastendes stitutes fire for firmament in fight-ent would have gone the way of door of Germany's Far Eastern ed that Soviet assurances in ex- armed and mysterious at the back tern doesns, and far is contending the devil.

Europe: the idea of Federation."

When there is once constituted partner Japan?

The reservation is depressing, a.Europe in which there is nat The presence in that quarter of State Department insists we got clung to idealism a long time after genes of complete sovereigntics

change are worthlem though the for the American government Ional freedom without the con hone the recent record will Hitler came to power. But even that spell' anarchy, and perpétital one thing is certain: Gen-He is in complete com- stoltly support the contention when Mr. Hughes was denounce strife then we can at long la eral Wavell has destroyed mand of the plateau the Italian power of at-which extends from Libya tack on Egypt from Libya. into Egypt.

a trap to lure British ware ships into the "safety" of the Mediterranean,

Whatever Hitler plans,

in these practices.

policy of repudiation of, inter

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gesture, the further proof that the pact with what in 1923 was still Europe, e

But realists will welcome, the ing the Soviet he made & yielding enjoy ireedom from the fear of Washington government is looking known as "the bloody Turk,

This time we have really got to, to its For Eastern rear as well as fresh from triumphs over the see to it that a Europe is created ['to its Atlantic front when under other great powers at Lausanne, that we can take or let aloneras