Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1939. ISOLATION AND DEMOCRACY.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1939, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1939. ISOLATION AND DEMOCRACY.

OOLONEL Charles Lindbergh is held deservedly in high ■- respect as a very gallant and enterprising airman, but he was by no means impressive in the speech, reported yesterday, in which he sought to draw a dividing line between Europe and the Western hemisphere. Only those who are prepared to set aside reason and justice and to ignore well-established and weighty facts, will agree with Colonel Lindbergh in his reported declaration that: —

This is a war over the balance of power in Europe. Our bond with Europe is a bond of race, not political ideology. It is the European race that we' must preserve, and political progress win follow. If the white race is ever seriously threatened it may then be time to take sides with the British, French and Germans, but not with one against the other for our mutual destruction.

Even if account be taken only of the. external aggression of ■which the'- Nazi and Fascist dictatorships have been, guiltj — with the Soviet latterly entering to some extent into partnership with Germany—Colonel Lindbergh’s asserted indifference with regard to European political ideologies must be called unwoithy of any democrat.

Happily there are many people in the United States who have a much more accurate perception, than the famous American airman of what is really at stake in what he calls a war for the balance of power. Recently, for example, the Christian Science Monitor” said in an editorial that political observers could find plenty of arguments to support a claim that the clash between Britain and Germany was primarily a political and economic struggle and would point to British democracy s effort to make a pact with Communist Russia and National Socialist Germany’s actual -conclusion of such a pact as proof that ideologies are only .shields for imperialism. Agreeing that moye than war is needed to make the world sale lor democracy, the “Monitor” added: —

Yet when all that is said it will be discovered that much more is involved than a clash between national interests. There has been steadily growing an aspiration for world order, a revulsion against international lawnessness. It has in some degree been felt among the peoples of all nations. It has found expression in all kinds of agreements and institutions designed to settle disputes by peaceful means—arbitration treaties, the League of Nations, the Kellogg Pact, etc. Now these aspirations have been denied by a reversion to narrow nationalism, exclusive economic policies, racial obsessions,' hateful propaganda, ruthless treaty-breaking and aggressive attacks on neighbours. Even the neutrals know where the balance of wrong lies. They sense the chief cause of unrest and rearmament and war.

Colonel Lindbergh evidently has tailed to achieve the. degree, of perception with which “even the neutrals” are here credited. He goes far astray in thinking that the war is being fought “over the balance of power in Europe.” The war in fact is one in which the people of the European democracies are fighting to maintain precisely those principles of democracy and justice which Colonel Lindbergh and many others say they are determined to maintain in the Western hemisphere.

Although they look back on traditions of centuries of strife, the peoples of the European democracies at the present day are as honestly intent as the people of the United States on establishing higher standards of international life and law. It was definitely in pursuit of these aims that Britain and France sought understanding and agreement with Russia, and, indeed, have tong sought understanding and agreement with Germany and with all other nations prepared to co-operate in establishing international concord. How far and in what manner the people of the United States are to assist in promoting a reign of law in world affairs is a matter for themselves, but there is some apparent justification for holding that Colonel Lindbergh, in his anxiety to insulate his own side, of the world from war, is ranging himself to an extent on the side of the totalitarian States.

Nothing - , certainly, could be more pleasiijg to Herr Hiller and his associated gang than that the democracies of the world should divide themselves rigorously into non-co-operating sections, so that Nazi aggressors need lie under no apprehension of having to cope with more than one section at a time. At anything but a very short view, on the other hand, this policy of division has its dangers for the United States as well as for the European democracies. If these last were overthrown, or even were seriously weakened, tin 1 United Slates most certainly would not be able to count upon continued immunity from totalitarian attack.

While he touched rather imaginatively and resentfully on the possibility that the United Stalos might, be drawn into war by Canada, Colonel Lindbergh, as he is reported thus far. had nothing to say about the fact that the totalitarian dictatorships are already making their influence felt in some of the Latin American republics, and even at Pan-American conferences, besides doing a certain amount of demonstrating within the confines of the United States. It is to be regretted that a great airman, whose opinions will carry considerable weight with a section of his countrymen, should make such an unenlightened and uninspiring contribution to the discussion of international affairs.

LOSS OF THE ROVAL OAK.

FOLLOWING on the recent torpedoing of the aircraft-carrier Courageous. the sinking' of the batlieship Royal Oak, with the loss of nearly two-thirds of her crew of approximately 1.200 officers and men. is a sharp and bitter reminder that mastery of the seas in time of war is only to be maintained at a price. The loss of so many gallant lives cannot Ind he deeply mourned. The reduction in Britain’s available naval strength bv Hie sinking of the battleship, far as it is from behig a matter of indifference, is much loss serious. In her major share of the task of blockading Germany. Britain is possessed of a far greater superiority and margin of naval force than she had at any stage of the Great War. The sinking of the Royal Oak assuredly does not moan that the power with which the Navy is maintaining and intensifying the blockade will be in any way weakened. If anything, an added impetus -will be given to the vigour and enterprise with whie.li flio enemy submarines are being hunted down and destroyed. Against the losses it has suffered, the Navy is able to set a noble record of achievement in the destruction of enemy submarines —of which three were accounted for in one day on Friday last —the safe passage of convoys under its protection and the clearance of enemy shipping from the seas.