The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-12-15

shadowing every other subject of
discussion in the National Capt.
tai is that of American prepared
ness for war. The program OF
national defense, which some re-
fer to as "The Fourth New Deal,
seems to be growing both in size
and scope.
1t is still too early to estimate
the extent of the support which
the new Congress will give to the
far-reaching and elaborate plans
of the Administration. So far as
those have been disclosed, they
include not only a great enlarge
ment of the military and naval
ornaments of the United States
but the inclusion of all Latin
America in any progam which
may be adopted.
The objective which President
Roosevelt emissions is that of an
American League of Nations
bound together by the common
tie of democracy, united in their
resistance to political penetration
and colonization by the dictator
ships of Europe and the Orient
and all relying upon the United
States for leadership and for
their first line of defense in case
resort to arms becomes neces-
Sary.
Estimated at Two Billion
AS the Senators and Represen-
tatives, new and old, begin to ar
rive in Washington for the ses-
sion which will begin January
3rd, questions as to how neces-
sary the proposals for such an in
crease in the nations fighting
strength really are, and how
much it is going to cost are at
the tips of tongues.
It is easier to answer the
question of cost than that of ne
cessity. The tentative estimates
for additional expenditures for
Army, Navy and Air Forces run
to about two billion dollars. That
is in addition to similar expendi-
turs already authorized, amount
ing to nearly two billions, which
is now being spent on building
battleship, destroyers, subma-
rines and cruisers, and for new
weapons and equipment. for the
Army and the Air Force.
By spending another two bill
lions in the course of the next
two or three years, Army and
Navy men figure that America
would be able on a few hours no
tice to mobilize an effective,
well-equipped Army, to put more
than ten thousand fighting planes
into the air, to patrol both oceans
with the most powerful Navy in
the world, and provide adequate
defense of both coasts aaginst air
raids by an enemy power.
There is noticeable among the
members of Congress who will
have this defense program laid
in their laps, a disposition to
question the need of such extern
sive preparations for war at this
time. At the risk of being brand
ed unpatriotic and denounced as
FasciSts or Communists, there
are several Senators and many
members of the House, not all Of
them opposed to the New Deal
for partisan or other reasons,
and some of them men of con-
siderable influence, who say that
they will get out in front in op-
position to the gigantic defense
program, unless somebody shows
them convincing evidence that
liberty of the United States and
and of the nations of South and
Central America for whose ter
ritorial integrity we have as
sumed responsibility, is actually
threatened from East or West.
Many Aware of Danger
There is another large element
in both Houses which is ready to
90 along with the Administra-
ton in any kind of a defense pro-
gram, some merely because it is
what the Administration wants,
and probably more because they
sincerely believe that American
liberty and American ideals are
in danger as a result of recent
events in Europe and the Far
East.
The difference between these
two groups in the new Congress
already seem to be sharp enough
to insure that approval of an ap-
preparation Of money for addi-
tional ornaments will not be
voted in hurry. Every detail
and item of the program will be
questioned. The. need for more
ships, guns and planes will be
challenged. Unless there is pre-
sented to Congress some very
oo,,xyinc in0 Y1ro0f that some for