Evening star., 1938-12-20

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DISCUSSES ARMAN1ENTS-Sel
Missouri, who spoke last night i
even to the extent of setting our
selves up as sort of policeman for
the world.
Millions of Americans favored the
entrance Of the United States into
the League of Nations, but an over
Whelming number of millions favored
our staying out, because they feared
that our participation in the League
would break down our traditional
policy of attending to our own busi-
ness and lead us to constant involve
ment in the quarrels of other
nations. In my Judgment, time has
completely vindicated that position
and the American people would to-
day return far more decisive ver-
dict against our participation in the
League than we did in 1920.
There is today section of Amer
lean public opinion-relatively small
In numbers but powerful in position
and influence-Who conceive that it
is the business of the United States
not only to enter actively into the
affairs of other nations but to do so
as the avowed follower of Great
Britain. It is their idea that we
should either % engage Japan in
the Orient in order to Leave Great
Britain free to attempt to re-estab-
llsh its hegemony in Europe or that
CD we should undertake to replace
with our own naval forces in the
Mediterranean or the North Sea any
forces Withdrawn by Great Britain
Tor use in the Orient in protection
OF British interests in the East and
go that we should be prepared to
resume our role of financial angel
and purveyor of munitions in any
war in which the so-called "democ-
racies' of Great Britain and France
may choose to engage.
U. S. People Happy.
Powerful as is this section of
American opinion in influence and
position, am certain that the great
bulk OF our citizens at the time of
the Munich Conference were ex-
treme!y happy that we had neither
treaty of alliance with the one coun-
try nor understanding with the 9TH
er, Which would have emboldened
England and France to callouslv
dispose of our boundaries and our
great industrial centers without even
permitting us the poor privilege of
belng present. The theory that We
are under obligation to battle around
the world in the wake of these So
called "democracies' has been much
cooled by their aggressive willing
ness to participate in the dismem-
oerment OF Czecho- o-Slovakia.
Another school of thought holds
10 the view that in the interests of
American trade we must be ready
to light at the drop of the hat to
protect and promote and project
private American investments in
every part of the world. Our tota!
investments in China are something
less than quarter of a billion of
dollars. Our trade with all the
orient has never been more than an
lnconsequential part of the full naval
and military expense of the United
States. The cost of construction of
a few battleships is far more than
the value of our total investment in
the orient. All Of our trade with
the Orient in the best year we ever
nad would not support a war in the
orient Tor week. BY the solemn
pledge OF our people to the people
OF the Philippines made many wears
ago, repeated on numerous occa
SONS, ana consummated by two acts
OF Congress at the request of the
Phlllpplne people, we are Withdraw
ing from those islands. With it, we
are withdrawing the chief necessity
Tor the maintenance of a navy for
operations in the Orient and we are
also releasing more than a full divi-
sion OF the present authorized
strength OF our Army for service in
the United States or the Canal Zone
or anywhere else that duty may call.
we must, therefore, determine the
purposes for which the proposed vast
armament is to be used. It is easv
to say "The Fleet must be ready"
That is thrilling message, which
strikes a responsive chord in the
heart OF every American. The ques-
ton is, for what must the Fleet be
ready?
Ratio of Three to One.
1t is commonly conceded by naval
experts that in order to even have
chance of conducting successfully
naval war six or seven thousand
miles from home against an enemy
based on home ports it is necessary
to enjoy a superiority in the ratio
OF about 212 or to l. While ac-
cording to the latest naval manuals
we enjoy very considerable naval
superiority over Japan, it is extreme
ly unlikely that we would within
any reasonable time be able to es-
tablish the preponderance of naval
strength necessary to justify us in
assuming the burden of attacking
Japan in the Orient. Even more
remote is the possibility of Japan
being able to build up the 3-to-1
ratio of superiority necessary for
them to attack our shores or even
Hawaii with our Navy based on
Pearl Harbor.
But it is suggested that we may
be engaged in war in the Pacific
and the Atlantic at the same time,
and that we must have "two-ocean
Navy" OF course we all know that
the only possibility of our being so
engaged would be in the event that
we were foolish enough to detach
our great Battle Fleet for an offen-
sive foray in either ocean so far
from home that treacherous enemy
might be tempted to attack us in
the rear. To follow the theory of
these alarmists to its logical conclu-
sion, 1t would be necessary for us, in