The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-05-01
AN APOLOGY TO CANADA

~NE If the most serious diplomatic
~ blunders ever made in this or any other
Administration has Just occurred. The teStl-
mopv of high Army officers to House COIL
mittee regarding alleged United States war
MANS has frightened Canadians and caused
official representations by the Ottawa gov
ernment 10 Washington. Although President
Roosevelt has been quick TO disavow the
Army testimony. further friendly action Will
be required to repair the damage
This is an exceedingly serious matter Tor
many reasons. 1t arouses suspicion in the
mind of our oldest and best friend-perhaps
our only unqualified friend among all the
large nations of the world 1t appears to vio-
late the spirit of our treaty with our neigh
bor. It reveals a dangerous trend OF our
military men to usurp the policy-making
function of the civil government.
Brig. Gen. Kilbourne, until recently as
sistant chief OF staff in charge of war plans,
explained to the committee how he camou-
tagged the Wilcox bill to provide a giant
air base near the Canadian border. I coulo
not put it IN the bill because of the Canadian
situation" he said You will notice No.
in my bill is camouflaged 1t is called inter-
mediate stations for transconhnental flights,
but it means the same thing"
Brig. Gen. Andrews, chief of the new CHG
air force added fuel by testifying that, even
with Canada neutral, the United States in
war might seize Newfoundland and British
and French islands in the Atlantic and Carlb-
bean: If the situation is sufficiently vital
no IN
these outlying bases to prevent their develop
ment by the enemy bases of operation
against us"
The President in stating that this Kill
bourne and Andrews testimony on war plans
does not represent either the policy Of this
Administration or that of the Communicating
Chief" reaffirmed our traditional treaty policy
with Canada as follows:
I call your especial attention to the fact
that this government not only accepts as an
accomplished fact the permanent peace con-
ditions cemented by many generations OF
friendship between the Canadian and Ameri-
can people. but expects to live up to not only
the letter but the spirit of our treaties relat-
ing to the permanent disarmament of our
5000 miles of common boundary"
We trust our Canadian friends will accept
this assurance by the President and Com
mander-in-Chief as representing not only the
policy of the Washington government but of
the American people. The easy and often in
accurate phrase about war being "unthink-
able" happens to be 100 per cent true in the
case Of the United States and Canada.
AS for our militarists, the Commander-in-
Chief presumably will find occasion to teach
them two very simple facts at least. The
first is that attempted military uSurpation
of civil government powers is one OF the most
heinouS offenSeS IN this republic. The second
is that a permanent Canadian American
peace alliance is worth more in the actual
defense and safety Of this nation than the
United States Army Navy and air corps
combined and all the billions of dollars spent
on preparedness.
No nation in the world is SO blessed as
ours with the natural protection OF two oceans
and neighoor like Canada We jeopardize
Canadian friendship at our peril.