The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-12-29
U. S. SECURITY
IS IMPERILED
BY PHILIPPINES
Foe Could Seize Islands in
First Week of War and
Hold Them.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
United Press Financial Editor

WASHINGTON Dec. 29.-The
Philippine islands today constitute
the gravest existing peril to the Sc
curity OF the United States. They
are Uncle Sans Achilles heel
"The United States should have
no decisions about the ability of her
navy to protect the Philippines"
winston Churchill, former first lord
of the British admiralty, recently
declared in Golfers. 1T is utterly
incapable of doing So"
Army and navy men in Washing
ton agree with Churchill 1t is ad-
mitted that in the event Of war the
United states would be obliged to
pull in her lines and leave the
islands to shift for themselves
throughout the first phases.
In honor bound, however, to re-
take them. if captured-as they
could be within week Of the out
break of hostilities-our whole plan
of war would have to be shaped to
that end. And therein lies our
danger.
Far From America
BY sea. the Philippines are 1854
miles from New York and the in
dustrial east. They are 9,347 miles
from Panama: 6,221 miles from San
Francisco, and 4,767 miles from Ha-
wall. And Hawaii is our nearest
naval base equipped to take care OF
battleships.
on the other hand they are only
1900 miles from Singapore, Britaln's
Oriental Gibraltar, and just few
score miles from the nearest Islands
belonging to Japan.
Astonishing as it may seem, there
fore. though the United States has
spent some $500 100000 defending"
the islands, they never for day
have been safe from capture at the
hands Of any one Of two or three
nations stronger than we in that
quarter Of the world.
Our navy would have to be twice
as big as it is, and the defenses in
the islands several times as strong,
merely to give Uncle Sam an even
break against an attacking power,
say like Japan.
Strengthens U. S. Defense
While the decision of congress to
liberate the islands at the end of
ten years leaves us dangerously ex-
posed for The next decade, and
while self-interest, rather than high
and humanitarian ideals influenced
It's course. it does mean the begin
ming of the end of this potential
peril
Withdrawal from the archipelago
will shorten the distance from the
United States to its farthest Pacific
outpost by nearly 5000 miles. 1t.
probably will not mean much of
saving, so far as our military and
naval expenditures are concerned
for American disarmament depends
upon world disarmament - but it
will mean our national defense
automatically will be strengthened
vastly.
If the Philippines were taken, the
United States would have to go to
work and slowly build up floating
fortresses and floating air bases
powerful enough to battle their way
nearly 1000 miles across the hostile
Pacific and still be able to smash
the invaders after they got there.
That would take time and incalcul-
able treasure.
Would Add to Safety
Without the Philippines liability,
the United States is we'll nigh i'm
pregnable. Without adding sin
gle additional penny to the national
defense budget, the country will be
twice as safe. If attacked, it can
fight in its own front yard. Our
war plans will be simplified greatly.
AS to the safety of the Philippines
themselves, they will be as secure
without us as with us-provided the
peace pacts hold. Our great moral
force, and the potention strength of
the American nation, rather than
our military power. have protected
the islands thus far.
Neutralized by international
agreement as it must be, the new
Philippines commonwealth should
be even more secure because not
just one of, but all, the great world
powers, would be its sponsor.
THE END