President Roosevelt's difeulties in securing the passage of the type of neutrality legislation he desires are rendered more difficult by th attitude adopted by pacifist societies, church clubs and similar bodies throughout the country. These neglect the institutional side of pacifism and spend their time in what they term "anti-war propaganda." They assume that the world is filled with perverse individuals wh" ore passionately fond of fighting, who in fact consider war to be rather fun, They are therefore, they assum contributing to the cause of work peace by pointing out that war, on the contrary, is not fun at all, but most unpleasant. America's part in bringing about world peace, according to this view, consists in encouraging those who believe with General Sherman that "war is he."
The activities of America's professional peace propagandists remind tone of nothing so much as a convention of dentists devoting their time to explaining the horrors of toothache and limiting their activities to offering words of encouragement to those who believe In sound teeth.
An army, said Napoleon, moves on its stomach, and the progress of world peace, President Roosevelt believes, depends upon world trade. The policy so steadfastly advocated by the Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull, of mak log reciprocal" tarltt agreements will be pressed forward vigorously. A prosperous nation means a peaceful nation, the Prosi~ dont believes. The special powers ranted the President Japse in June and he is expected to ask for their War Debts and Trai 'The question of trade is bound up with' the question of war debis though the Administration insist upon keeping discussion of the two topies Ju watertight compartments. Great Britain's trade with the United States for example is unfavourable. To be of any real service any trade agree ment reached with Great Britain would not only have to be sufficiently sweeping to rectify this lack of balance, but would also have to let down American tariff barriers suMlelently to permit an excess of Brit ish imports over American exports.
The enthusiasm on the American side for the conclusion of an Anglo-'American trade agreement is due to the feeling of prestige which such an agreement would give; the lack of enthusiasm on the British side is due to the feeling that American fantts are in any case too high, and to nake their reduction dependent upon a corresponding reduction In British tariffs, which are already much lower than the American, is unfair, When Britain was the worlds' creditor she believed in free trade, the United States, who is now stand-Ing in her shoes, still believes. in protection, though willing to remove 8 few bricks in the tariff wall here and there.
French and allan Initiative Formerly the. spokesman for the European debtor countries was Great Britain, Other nations sat back and wailed to see what Great Britain could accomplish <before making any moves of their own but to-day the Initiative has been taken by Italy and France. Both countries, specially the former, wish to negotiate American loans, but the American market is closed to them by the Johnson Act. This act does not accomplish fs purpose by placing restrletions on foreign borrowers but by Imposing heavy penalties on Ameri can lenders. There is no way round it, It either has to be repeated or the conditions it imposes have to be met.
Tlaly and France were both treated more generously in their debt fund-
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