Washington, Sept. 22.
The United States are as responsible as any other country for the failure of the principle of collective security, the "Washington Daily News" declared this morning in a lengthy editorial review of the country's foreign policy since the World War.
"A certain number of things might have saved Czechoslovakia, such as a powerful League of Nations, a strong and rearmed Great Britain, a France such as she was under Raymond Poincaré, a short preventive war against the Reich, a permanently neutralized Rhineland, or parallel action by the three great demo-crocies," the paper stated. "The United' States opposed all these things, and if the mechanism of collective peace has broken down, it is our fault as much as anyone elses.
"Critics are painting the American attitude as follows: we are ready—more than that—we demand that democracy be maintained even if it is to cost the last drop of French or British blood, but don't ask us to shed ours," the journal concluded.
A State Department personality told press representatives that "an isolationist wave is sweeping over America as a reaction to the keen disappointment felt at seeing Herr Hitler's policy of force break the structure founded upon the respect of treaties and international morality.
"When this wave passes, Americans will understand that they themselves are more directly exposed and their solidarity with the European demo-crocies will become a more imperative necessity," he added.—Havas.
The manifesto stated that British traditions of democracy and justice had been dishonoured by the sacrifice of Czechoslovakia, which would not bring peace. No frontier in Europe would now be safe, the communique added.
The British labour leaders, Sir Walter Citrine, Mr. Hugh Dalton, Mr. Elvin, Mr. George Latham and Mr. Gillies are flying to Paris this morning to discuss the Czech situation with French labour leaders. They will leave Heston shortly after the departure of Mr. Chamberlain for Germany.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.