Evening star., 1936-03-24
P|TTMAN DEMANDS.
STRONG DEFENSES.
Forum Speaker Declares
Weak Navy and Air Corps
Invite War.


Amid a breaking down of interna-
tional agreements and the failure OF
disarmament pacts, the United States,
hated by many nations, must pro
vide and MAINTAIN naval and air forces
equal to those of any country In the
world" Senator Key Pittman. chair
man of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee. said last night in the
National Radio Forum. arranged by
The Star. and broadcast over a
Nationwide network of the National
Broadcasting Co.
Despite the belief of honest" pa
cifists in the efficacy Of Justice and
Christian spirit to prevent war,
Senator Pittman expressed regret that
he felt impelled Ito declare that in
my opinion history and experience do
not sustain such high and pacific
ideals"
Even in this pesce-loving. enlight-
ened country, he pointed out. 1t is
necessary to maintain police forces
equal in size to the Regular Army to
preserve peace and that the only
thing that prevents the bully, whether
he be individual or Government, from
acts of violence is fear of punishment
or defeat"
Cites Extensive Coasts.
The need for protecting our extern
eive coast lines and maintaining the
Panama Canal, Makes it absolutely
necessary that We provide adequate
protection" the Senator said:
We cannot disguise the fact that
many governments in the world are
Jealous of us and some of them hold
for us an intense hatred and desire
to humiliate and punish u.s." he said.
Oceans no longer form a barrier
against airplane attack and protec-
ton against the danger of destruction
by bombs and poisonous gases grows
steadily, Pittman pointed out.
Many of our ships and our air.
planes are antiquated and obsolete,
while other governments have modern
instruments of warfare and are in
creasing these instruments as rapidly
as it is humanity possible" he said.
Let our Navy and our air feet sink
into obsolescence and We invite at
tack upon our coast with the deStruc-
ton of the lives of our people.
The only other step that we can
take at the present time to protect
our peace is to provide and maintain
naval and air forces equal to those
OF any country in the world
Text of Speech.
Of Cnnofnr pittrn n &
speech follows:
appreciate the honor and privilege
Of briefly discussing tonight the sub
ject Peace and Its Relation TO Pres
ent-Day Problems"
I assume that our people are most
interested in the preservation of our
own peace, and yet it is evident that
our peace is inexorably affected by
world conditions. ! do not mean to
assert that We cannot maintain peace
in our country, even though the rest
Of the world should be at war, but
every student of the history OF peace
and war realizes that the problem
would become exceedingly difficult in
such event. The world is not yet at
war, and still We would be stupid, If
not cowardly and unpatriotic, were
we to bury our heads in the sands,
that We might not see things as they
are. 1t serves us not to say there Is
no war when there is war. We de-
ceive ourselves and those who rely
upon us when we fanatically proclaim
to our people that fear, greed and
ambition for power do not actuate
governments today, and that the spirit
of conquest is dead. We do not stay
war by ceremonial wailings, incanta-
tions and protestations that there Is
peace.
The principle Of national necessity
has superseded and destroyed interna-
tional law and treaty rights. The So
called national right by force to ex-
pand. to possess all necessary raw
materials, to increase commerce, to es-
tablish and maintain racial culture,
and pet principles of government in the
far places OF the earth, to have the
highest place in the sun without re-
gard to the rights of others, is today
the most powerful influence in the
world! This is the militaristic prin-
ciple upon which conquest is justified.
This is the principle under which
sacred treaties for peace are arbi-
trarily violated. This is the principle
upon which is based the dictum that
might makes right. Wars through the
ages have been waged in support Of
this principle. War is now being
waged to obtain the privileges asserted
under such principle. Further con-
quests and expansions under this prin-
Ciple are even now being planned by
various governments and undoubtedly
will be carried out with military force
unless it Is within the determination
and power Of the governments of the
world to collectively stop it. "Ay,
there's the rub"
League Sounded Reasonable.
Is 1t the determination Of the gov
ernments of the world to denounce
such principles and prevent its BAR
baric use? Obviously the weak ma
tions fear conquest, but they have not
the physical power to successfully re-
sist it. How about the powerful ma
tions? History answers this question.
In 1919 the League Of Nations was
created and organized. 1t had for its
purpose the prevention Of wars, If
possible, and the quick ending of
those wars that do arise by the use
OF and through collective action of
governments. The covenant of the
League Of Nations prohibited acts of
aggression and provided adequate
means for the amicable determination
OF international controversies. Back
Of all this force was provided in the
form Of sanctions or boycotts, ostra-
cism and, If necessary, even armies
and navies, to compel obedience to
the adjudication of the League under
the covenants. 1t was hoped that