Evening star., 1937-02-23

by suitable establishments on q re-
spectacle defensive posture" which
means adequate national defense. He
also urged for securing peace and
avoiding war, national isolation, by
keeping away from foreign entangle-
ments and alliances-another name
today for strict neutrality.
Avoidance Of War.
AS we look about the world Of today
and witness the political and social
revolutions that are transpiring, the
dethronement of kings and emperorS,
the abandonment of constitutions and
democratic institutions to be replaced
by relationships, the ominous clouds
of war that hang low throughout Eu-
rope, with three actual wars having
taken place since the World War. is
not our paramount problem to escape
involvement In another war, if war
comes?
The growth of relationships in GER
tain countries of Europe injects a new
danger into the international Situa-
ton. They are warlike and bellicose
in spirit and purpose and have pro-
ceeded to build up military. naval and
aircraft armaments on a scale here
tofore unimagined In Europe Again.
communism. spreading stealthily and
strategically its tentacles In every part
of the world, has become a real and
definite threat to the continuance of
democracy.
I repeat, no realistic discussion of
Americas present-day problems can
avoid mention Of the war risk. Sound
craftsmanship requires that our ma
tional policies be SO shaped as to pro-
mote and safeguard peace for our own
country and, so far as lies within our
power, peace for the world. It Is not
enough that We proclaim our desire
for peace-we must leave nothing un-
done in an effort to insure peace
In the past this has meant treaties
to outlaw war, efforts to conclude dis
armament agreements. 1t has meant
attempts to reach an accord with
other nations with respect to interna-
tional trade and international finance,
since it is recognized that economic
factors are so often the breeders Of
war. 1t has meant unselfish efforts
to spread the gospel Of peace and good
will among all the nations of the earth.
The United States has led the world
in preaching the gospel that the road
to peace is through universal disarma-
ment. After Is years of conferences
and treaty making 1t is regrettable to
announce that practically no progress
has been made toward limitation of
armaments. During this period we
have seen three concerted efforts to
limit naval armamentS by information
al agreement fail. These efforts finally
ended on December 81, 1886, with the
termination of the treaties that had
been made We are now back where
we were before the World War.
Despite the horrifying memories of
the World War, which are still fresh
in the minds Of this generation, the
race in armaments continues un-
abated, in fact, with accelerated speed.
every major power has
joined in this mad race and even the
demands upon national
budgets do not seem able to slow
down the large building programs,
which embrace all the expected naval
and military armannents, and. what Is
perhaps most ominous, vast numbers
of airplanes fully equipped for scout
ing and bombing which constitute a
sinister menace not only to the armies
and navies of other powers. but to
the helpless populations as well.
For the future, national defense to
us should mean implementing our
Government with new ways and means
of preserving our own strict neutrality
in the event of war elsewhere; 1t
means enactment Of statutes to eliIni-
nate the profit motive within our own
land as related to the supplying Of
or labor during the state of
war: 1t means finally the strengthen
ing of our national defenses-on land,
on sea and in the air.
Example Of Other Nations.
Before discussing what the United
States is doing with respect to
strengthening its own defenses, let
me picture to you very briefly, what
other nations have been doing and are
now proposing with respect to their
own armaments.
Great Britain is embarked on q
naval building program of immense
proportions. In the single year OF
1886, she authorized the construction
of 81 naval vessels including two bat
tleships, five cruisers and another air.
craft carrier. She has built q new
naval base at Singapore. She has in
creased the enlisted personnel of her
navy. She Is expanding her air force
and strengthening her army.
Japan. within the last year or two
has authorized or completed a total
Of SO additional cruisers, submarines.
destroyers and other types of naval
craft and is acquiring many modern
cargo vessels of high speed, easily con-
vertible into naval transports.
France is building two battleships
and her 1887 program calls for con-
Of approximately 43 vessels.
Germany has now under construc-
tion or appropriated for 3 battleships,
2 aircraft carriers, 3 cruisers, a. de-
stroyers, 9 submarines and IL torpedo
boats.
Italy's naval building program is
proceeding rapidly and even Soviet
Russia has now turned her attention
to naval defense and Is reported to
now have In commission submarine
fleet of perhaps 100. -
Our own Navy Of today has 16 heavy
cruisers and is building 2. England
has 10 today and Japan IL.
We have built and building 10 light
cruisers, while Japan has 20 In this
ca tspory and Great Britain has "a,