Evening star., 1938-11-27
Defense of Neighbors Held
Essential to Safety of u. S.
Continental Plan Advocated to Make Sure Enemy
Would Not Seize Weak Country for
Basis of Attack
By Joseph S. Edgerfon.

Continental defense, replacing an out
grown policy Of national defense, has
become the directing policy behind de-
velopment of the armed forces of the
United States, President Roosevelt has
indicated.
Canada and the 20 Latin American
republics, in his belief, must share jointly
the burden of mutual defense, although
the United States inevitably, would be
called upon in any event to share the
lions share of the load
Peace organizations Immediately united
In Mortified attack upon the suggestion
that this Nation should in any way arm
for the protection of its neighbor re-
publicS, denouncing the suggestion as
fantastic" But is it so fantastic? Is
the theory of continental" defense, in
fact, not an inescapable outgrowth of
world military developments, particularly
progress in the air? Military authorities,
Army and Navy, are pretty we'll agreed
today that the United States cannot de-
fend itself against large-scale attack,
either from Europe or Asia without also
defending its neighboring republics.
Mr.. Roosevelt's announcement that
policy of continental rather than simply
national defense has become the guild
ing star of our military development was
well timed as have been most of his
statements of international policy. 1t
came on the eve of the Pan American
Conference which will open at Lima
December 9. It is likely to have power
full influence on deliberations at that
conference in the light of threatening
developments in Europe and across the
Pacific.
Defense Appropriations.
The announcement also may be re-
garded as preparatory to requests which
will be made to Congress this winter for
appropriations for the Army and Navy.
During the past week representatives Of
the Nations leading aircraft production
plants have been in conference here with
Assistant Secretary of War Louis john
son, a key figure in the Presidents de-
fense development plans. and Army
leaders. It is reported that, as result
Of this conference, the War Department
will recommend to Congress, through
the President, appropriation of funds to
finance an ultimate production of 1000
airplanes month to match German
production.
Such a program not only would be
strictly in line with the broadened view
point of this countrys defense respon-
sibilities, but would serve to strengthen
and develop the domestic aircraft in
dustry to point which would insure
an adequate supply of military airplanes
during war or other emergency. With
three possible exceptions, American air
craft factories now are working at far
less than plant capacity and are urgent
ly In need of new orders to maintain
existing establishments. This, in face
of the fact that European aircraft plants
already are geared up to production far
beyond the maximum capacity of our
existing plants
One of the leading British aeronautical
publications, regarded as something OF
an international authority, in its latest
issue refers to the fact that American
aircraft factories are quite small and
comparatively badly equipped COM
pared with those in Europe.
s"That is quite natural" it was stated,
''because the United States Army Air
Corps has always been the ugly duckling
of the United States Army and has been
stinted for funds, both for personnel or
material. And the United States Navy,
although its Air Service is bigger in pro-
portion than is our fleet air arm, still
does not buy enough aeroplanes to keep
. number of f1rst-class factories going"
German Planes Increase.
This same publication quotes figures
obtained via Italy which would seem to
indicate that the present production pro-
gram in Germany will bring the strength
of the German ali force up to 5000
'first-line" military airplanes between
1910 and 1941, and that no doubt the
strength could be pushed up to 1000 or
5000, and under war pressure 1t could
probably go up to 10000"
1t is obvious that to insure adequate
protection of the United States this
country must be able to put into the
air at once sufficient aircraft to hold in
check any possible air force which might
be brought against us until such time as
our factories could 60 into large-scale
production The smaller and weaker our
factories, the larger must be the cover
ing force available to permit building
up of war scale production.
The United States Navy, Army and
air forces however, must not be merely
adequate to the task of keeping an enemy
out of our borders to assure national de-
fense. our military leaders have pointed
out. They must be adequate to prevent
establishment of hostile naval and air
bases within striking range of our shores
on the lands of our neighbors in the
West Indies, in Central or South Amer
lea or in Canada Moreover, since the
United States has not built up navies
large enough to protect us in both the
Atlantic and the Pacific we must guar
antee absolutely the safety of the Pana-
ma Canal-the most vulnerable spot in
our naval defenses. To guarantee that
our naval lifeline shall not be cut It Is
obvious that we must prevent establish
ment of enemy naval or air bases within
striking range of the Canal, still further
widening the area we must protect.
Even this however, is not sufficient.
The United States, though perhaps better
equipped than any other one nation in
fundamental supplies of fuel, foodstuffs,
minerals and raw materials still mist