Evening star., 1938-10-31
BARUCH PLEA FOR
DEFENSE PRAISED
World War Leader Held
Preparedness
Authority.

Statements by Bernard M. Baruch
that the United States is unprepared
to meet the present world situation are
accepted by the press as expert judg-
ments which should serve as a warning
to the country. Mr.. Baruch was chair
man of the War Industries Board in
the World War, and is declared to be
well qualified to express opinions on
the question of national defense.
Declaring that the United States will
fight "only defensive war;" the San
Antonio Express explains: America
participated in the World War to defend
generation would find democracy-with
its personal liberty, freedom of thought
and speech and opportunities for indi-
vidual initiative-still flourishing. In
stead, that generation for whom those
great sacrifices were made sees democ-
racy in a more precarious position than
before. Worse still, it finds interna-
tional law and national honor in near
collapse almost throughout the world.
1t perceives that governments dealings
with one another are shot through with
deceit and dishonesty"
"Mr. Baruch, who was mobilizer of
American industry in the World War"
says the Hartford Times, has been an
able wise man Of affairs, trusted adviser
of many Presidents, and returns from
recent travel in Europe" The Times
further comments: "As at the birth of
the last century when Pitt in England
observing events in Europe made a dis
astrous mistake in perceiving the ele-
ments Of rising conflict only as involving
the territorial ambitions of France and
her rivals on the continent when as
matter of fact they involved vital prin-
clples the results of whose collision was
to dictate the destinies of modern his
tory, SO today there should be no misun-
derstanding of an international situation
precisely similar to that respect"
No rules of war" advises the Los
Angeles Times, "are kept save those
which are mutually advantageous to
the combatantS, for the very good reason
that there is no effective way of punish
Ing violator, and a rule without a
penalty is mere scrap of paper.
Practically all nations agreed not long
ago to outlaw war ITSELF the result was
not encouraging"
"Dlctators are building up vast mill
tary establishments and are out to get
everything they can while the getting
is good declares the Syracuse Herald,
while the Savannah News holds that
Mr.. Baruch was merely passing on the
results of his keen analytical observa-
tlons." The Boston Transcript concludes:
That recent events in Europe have
given us new conception of what con-
stitutes adequate preparedness can
scarcely be doubted"
THE savage German personal attacks
on Mr.. Baruch" are criticized by the
New York Herald Tribune, with the state
ment that they fall oddly upon the
ears OF nation which not only knows
them to be fantastically lbelous descrip-
tions of Mr.. Baruch but which is also
in the rather important process of max
ing up its mind about Europe in general
and Germany in particular"
"Opponents of genuine preparedness"
contends the Newark Evening News,
have advanced as their stock argument
against additional outlayS the 5000 miles
of ocean that lie between us and Europe.
Undoubtedly, as Of today, the Atlantic
is for us great national bulwark. But
we ourselves a score of years ago put
100000 armed men in France Today
the military airplane has an ever-Wider
cruising radius. For almost nine CEN
turies the English Channel has kept
Britain from invasion. Military might
in the air has made a mere brook
of the Watery expanse that stopped
Napoleon. What will the Atlantic be
in the days to Gomez"