Posted on 03/18/2008 8:38:04 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
WASHINGTON, March 17. – A firm foreign policy which involves no retreat in the face of disruptive events in Europe and the Far East was presented to the nation today by Secretary Hull in an address at a luncheon of the National Press Club. He strongly urged arming to command respect for the United States as a force for peace at a time when “international anarchy” threatens world order.
Delivering his first formal pronouncement on “Our Foreign Policy” since the resignation of Anthony Eden as Foreign Minister and the absorption of Austria by Germany, Mr. Hull spoke before an audience of more than 500 newspaper correspondents, editors and government officials.
The address was broadcast in the United States by the National, Columbia and Mutual Broadcasting systems. It was also delivered to the Canadian and the British Broadcasting Corporations. Later it was rebroadcast to the world over international short-wave stations in translations of Spanish, Portuguese, German, French and Italian, directional antennae pointing the broadcasts toward Europe and South America.
Mr. Hull made clear that fundamental American policy had not been changed. He strongly condemned international lawlessness and reoffered to the nations his peace proposals of last July, which contemplate a world of law and order, and of good-will.
Yeah, and we all know how well that worked out....
In 1938 the US Army had very little wallop. It was something like 20th in the world.
The US Navy packed a world-class wallop, which prevented anybody from even thinking of launching a surprise attack.
Except for the Japanese...
(chuckle....)
Which just goes to show how dangerous it is to suppose that one's own beliefs and ideals are also what drives the actions of others.
That was Chamberlain's mistake during the timeframe of these articles. Later on, it would also infect the thinking of the peaceniks who opposed American actions during the Cold War.
And it most definitely shows up in the thinking of many with regard to the current war in the Middle East.
Once again, Homer, you've provided some outstanding history that is relevant to our situation today. I'm loving this stuff!
My comment was intended satirically.
We misunderestimated the Japanese severely.
They misunderestimated our response even worse.
“There is still “bad blood” between the Poles and the Lithuanians and it didn’t start in 1939! It has gone on for centuries.”
The world and Lithuanian Polish relations have changed dramatically since Lithuania reasserted it independence from Communist Russia in 1990. When the Russian tanks were running over Vilnius citizens in January of 1991, it was Poland’s government that opened up to accept Algirdas Saudargas, Lithuania’s then foreign minister to represent the possible Lithuanian Government in Exile. When it came time for Lithuania to join NATO it was Polish American’s who strongly supported and lobbied Congress and the military to support this. The supposed rivalry is more like that between siblings. When the situation is tough the Poles and Lithuanians are of like mind and purpose. Russia on the other hand has been weaving all kinds of intrigues for decades now in attempts to cause splits between the Baltic states themselves as well as with Poland.
That “bad blood” you speak of? It’s like the bad blood between the University of Michigan and Ohio State University. Just a natural rivalry that goes back, oh, six more centuries.
Ahhh...
I would like to think that our country has learned from the lesson of that attack. Some of us have, at least...there are others who truly frighten me with their level of stupidity. I refer mainly to the peace at any price crowd here...
ROTFL! Yeah, I know! Whenever the Mrs. meets a Pole who sez that "Lithuania is just like a province of Poland, don't cha know!" I have to step in front of her really fast.
I never asked her if there is a tuba player who dots the "i" in "Lietuva" after the national anthem, though!
As long as Ireland brews Guinness, I don't have any feuds with anyone. Well, now that I think of it...
Francis, himself
For your list (lizol appears to be away).
i was doing odd jobs to pay the bills in college and I came across about seven years of newspapers starting in 1938. There was a lot of this stuff in there along with other history that was probably lost.
There is nothing in being oppressed that makes the oppressed virtuous, just the reverse.
I am pretty well informed about history, but this piece of Polish aggression seems to have been whitewashed right out of the history books.
This crisis doesn’t get much mention in the history books. I guess few people care to remember Poland going after Lithuania while ignoring the real danger.
Freud and his family were allowed to leave Austria in June. They went to England, where he died the following year.
Sox fan? Disown him...
This military buildup should have rung all kinds of alarm bells.
Thanks, Homer_J_Simpson, for the ping.
All: please ping me to threads that are relevant to the MilHist list (and/or) please add the keyword “MilHist” to the appropriate thread. Thanks in advance.
Which aggression ? The war didn’t happen.
(and the hell would anyone attack own province...)
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