The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1939-01-28
The Defense Program
New York Times)

New York Tlmes)
President Roosevelt struck the right note in his
message yesterday when he warned Congress and the
country against extreme views either side OF the
question of national defense. We are already spend
ing more for ornaments than have spent be-
fore in times of peace and the President said, we
are certainly not in condition of defenseeSsness
which warrants us in yielding to hysteria. On the
other hand there is the unpleasant but indsputable
fact that ornaments are wholly relative and that
ether nations in whose purposes have least reason
to feel confidence have been building certain
ments at much more rapid pace than So long
this continues, the ordinary rules of common
and prudence require that be prepared.
What the President proposes is that in order to
achieve "a well-rounded program Congress appropri
this session approximately S552000000 in addi
to the 81 100000 already carried in the budget
under heading another for purposes of national
defense OF this S552000000 somewhat less than half
would be spent during the twelve months beginning
next July and the balance at later time. Part of
the additional appropriation would go toward provid-
ing new bases for the navy considerable number of
which are clearly needed. Part would go toward
strengthening seacoast defenses (somee of these at
present are not even manned) another part toward
provisioning the army with certain critical items of
equipment (anti-tank guns, semi-automatc rifles,
etc. with which it is now inadequately supplied.
Smaller appropra tons recommended for the train
ing of pilots for extension of the useful device
of educational orders by means of which private
industries encouraged to experiment with the pro-
duction of material. But the great emphasis Of
the Presidents figures is the acquisition OF new
planes and to this single purpose he would devote
so percent of the whole additional appropriation which
he now recommends.
The expenditure of so large a sum for this one
purpose would enormously increase the forces of
the United States. At the present time the army and
the navy have between them about $500 planes and
a total authorized strength of 1920 planes a goal
toward which they building gradually The Presi-
dent would add to the latter figure "a minimum
increase of 1900 planes. That would lift the total
TO more than 5000 panesat which point the actual
present strength of air force would be more than
doubled. Measured by whatever standard, this would
give very formidable force indeed For while it
is possible that certain other countries have their
own side of the Atlantic a larger force than 5000
firsclass planes there is good to believe that
no country anywhere maintains as many planes as
this in operation.
The emphasis of the Presidents figures being
what it is discussion of the defense program in
Congress and elsewhere is certain to turn chiefly
upon this matter of air strength 1t will be appro-
PIRATE to consider such questions the purposes for
which force of 5000 planes profitably be used
the probable annual cost of maintaining air fleet
of this size; the corollary needs, particularly of the
army in the matter OF increased personnel and addi-
tcnal air bases and the ability of the airplane indus
try to meet the demands of the proposed program
without detrment to the interests of commercial avi-
alton.