Evening star., 1936-01-28
U.S.PREPAREDNESS|
URGED BY WALSH
Senator Declares 1t Best
Assurance of Peace in
Forum Address.

Forum Address.
Adequate preparedness Is the best
assurance Of peace, Senator Walsh.
Democrat Of Massachusetts. said last
night in an address in the National
Radio Forum, in which he pointed to
the war machine being created Ia
Europe and declared that, while Amer
ica must continue to work Tor comfy
Of nations, it must be ready Ito defend
our homes and our country from at
tack"
The Forum, arranged by The Star.
Is carried over a nation wide network
Of the National Broadcasting Co.
Outlines Program.
Describing as blind" those "high-
minded" persons who continue to
cling to the notion that we can insure
peace for our own country without
any military preparedness" Senator
Walsh outlined a three-part program:
~ a strong Navy and ca q peace
time Army In terms Of both regulars
and reserves which shall constitute
real basis of defense and 90 largely
augmented air force in keeping with
the tremendously expanding air forces
Of other nations.
Describing the shortcomings Of the
present defensive set-up, the speaker
said the administration is taking 'very
definite strides" toward remedying
conditions.
Concurrently with Senator Walsh's
address, three veteran groups-Amer-
lean Legion, Veterans of Foreign
Wars and Disabled American Vet
erans-renewed their drive for the
universal draft and preparedness as
the best means to assure mo more
wars, no more bonus"
Text Of Address.
Following is the complete address:
In the heart Of every patriotic
American Is love Of country. It is a
deep and undying emotion. Implicit
in love Of country is defense of coun-
try from any who plot 1t harm
whether from within or from without.
Defense Of the homeland from foreign
instructive as defense of ones own
life. 1t is the instinct Of self-preser-
vation. Defense of country means
armed defense if the aggressor resorts
to arms. And so, since the birth of
our Republic. a paramount function
of the National Government has been
the matter of national defense.
v ic UNo ~ ioI, Sc ~, n
subject Of my radio talk tonight.
National defense in principle is a
simple and clear-cut proposition.
But practical methods for its attain
ment Is q many-sided question, af-
fording countless controversies. I
shall not attempt any lengthy his
torical review. Our concern Is with
the present rather than with the past
and with facts rather than theories.
Certain events and realities, how
ever, which have transpired in the
years between the end of the World
War and today are of transcendental
importance to any intelligent and ra-
tional approach to the question Of ma
x tional defense in this year of 1896.
y All will agree that when the World
War was ended every loyal American
{ citizen hoped and prayed that we had
indeed fought war to end war and
that it might indeed come to pass
that the world would never see an
other war. Our prayers have not yet
been answered. Our hopes have not
yet been realized. Indeed. 1t almost
seems that at the present time we are
further away instead of nearer to the
goal Of world peace.
Severa! Approaches Made.
The League of Nations was one Of
many attempted approaches to the
goal Of world peace. Disarmament by
mutual treaty agreement was another
approach to the same goal. Treaties
to outlaw war was third avenue of
approach to the goal of world peace.
Some centered their hopes on one
expedient for world peace, others on
Z different expedients. That none of
these proposals have succeeded and
that some of them have conspicuously
! failed admits of no dispute. The most
I that can be said is that they may
+ succeed some time when the world is
: in q different temper. The best that
we can now say is that in some direc-
tions we have made limited progress
( toward the goal Of universal peace.
/ But even that modest assertion Is
= hotly disputed by many.
: The real pity Of 1t is that 80 many
: high-minded Americans. strong in
: their devotion for peace, are seemingly
!. 80 blind to the manifest realities in
: this day world, to the menace Of war
!, and continue to cling to the notion
!. that we can insure peace for our
!. country without any military prepar-
edness. 1dealism is fine, but what we
need is practical idealsm. AS long
as the rest Of the world is in arms,
then adequate means Of national de-
tense must be our own best-if not
indeed our sole-guarantee Of peace.
In my discussion of national defense
tonight am not concerned with the
raging controversies as to whether the
League Of Nations, as an agency Of
world peace. has been, will be or can
be effective, and If not, why and
where the blame. Nor do I intend to
argue the pros and cons Of the Kel-
/. logg- BRAND peace pact, whereby all
( the nations professedly outlawed war
! as an instrument Of aggression.
Events have demonstrated the futility,
i Is q practical matter, Of this pact to
prevent wars.
= Conferences Fail Dismally.
But what Of world disarmament by
compact, which looked so promising
= when the naval limitation treaty was
= signed In Washington In 1922. Suf-
: 1ice to say that repeated efforts for 10
I years to expand that treaty to en-
Z brace all naval craft instead Of one
9 type Of capital ships have proven
abortive. Conferences for limitation
Of armaments on land and in the air