The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-01-28
Congress Warned To
 Prepare For Defense
(Gontinued from Page D

ditions throughout the world which, he declared, 1mpelled him to sub init his request to congress.
 "The congress knows" said MT. Roosevelt, that for many years this government has sought in many capitals with the leaders of many governments to find a way to limit and reduce armaments and to es- tablish at least the probability of world peace.
 The congress is aware also that while these efforts, supported by the hopes of the American people, con- tniue and will continue, they have nevertheless failed up to the pres ent time.
 Still Seeking Peace
 "We, as a peaceful nation, cannot and will not abandon active search for agreement among the nations to limit armaments and end aggres- sion. But it is clear that until such agreement is reached-and I have not given up hope of tive are compelled to think of our own na- tional safety"
 MT. Roosevelt said that the piling up of arms and war implements in other nations involves threat to world peace and security"
 Tt is with the deepest regret" he said, that I report to you that armaments increase today at an un- precedented and alarming rate. It is an ominous fact that at least one fourth of the worlds population is involved in mercileSs devastating conflict in spite of the fact that most people in most countries, in- cluding those where conflict rages, wash to live at peace"
 Coasts May Be Involved
 MT. Roosevelt noted that the de- fense problems of the nation are not simple-that America has two long coastlineS and must face pos sibility of a war in which both coasts might be involved.
 Adequate defense" he said, means that for the protection not only of our coasts but also of our communities far removed firm the coast, we must keep any potential enemy many hundred miles away from our continental limits.
 We cannot assume that our de- fense would be limited to one ocean and that the other ocean and the other coast would with certainty be safe.
 We cannot be certain that the connecting link-the Panama Canal would be safe.
 Adequate defense affects there fore the simultaneous defense of every part of the United States of America"
 MT. Roosevelt declared that his arms proposals were designed sole ly for defense and to implement the nations efforts for world peace.
 Navy Second to None
 Completion of the recommended naval program would give the United States navy second to none in the world-of strength equal to Britain's fleet.
 The presidents requests were over and above regular army and navy estimates which, for the 1889 fiscal year, total approximately another billion dollars.
 The president supported his pro- gram with fiat statement that our present national defense is, fin the light of the increasing armaments of other nations, inadequate for purposes of national security" He cited the wars currently in progress in Spain and China and the almost universal trend toward armament increases as the causes for his alaEm for the United States present position.
 Specifically, the president asked congress to authorize and appro- prite for the immediate start of con- struetion of two more battleships. That would bring the total of these floating fortresses under construc- ton for the American navy to six. |