Evening star., 1939-01-13

tAOlA SnllilOU NC 1llduc puUllC, DuI CIle
President went as far as he could
when he permitted the two Ameri-
can Ambassadors resident at Paris
and London to communicate con-
f1dentially in person to joint com
mittees of both Houses of Congress
their impressions of the European
situation as it relates to possible
war.
The question really is how soon
Europe will engage in war, for
though the United States in 1914
made an effort to keep out of the
World War ENHANCEMENT did re-
suit. Whether this participation was
justified or unjustified, the fact re-
mains that the United States did
enter the World War. and hence
, from a military and naval stand
point, the high officers of the Army
and Navy naturally make their rec
concentrations for defense on the
basis of possibility as demonstrated
BY a previous experience.
One-Half of l Per Cent.
National defense, Of course. is the
Nations insurance against the fire
hazard of world conhagration A
fire department is necessary, even
Aft fire doesn't occur very often
The United States has a national
wealth estimated as far back as 1922
to have been S320o90, 100000. To
protect that wealth. assuming it is
not any higher today, costs about
81 800 100000 per year now, or an
insurance premium of less than one
half Of per cent per annum.
II governments were not engaged
nowadays in the business of stealing
territory to get resources and raw
materials, there would be'little need
for bigger Army and Navy. The
United States has the best raw ma
terial supply in the world-a heavy
percentage of the worlds golcl. the
worlds copper, the worlds oil and
the worlds food supply. But there
are important raw materials in Pan
America. The European gcvein-
ments which have begun their
campaigns of peaceful" penetra-
ton by the threat of force, have
shown tendency to look covetously
at countries with valuable raw ma
terials below the Rio Grande. No
matter what official assurances are
given publicity. the information
available is to the effect that South
and Central America are not outside
OF the areas to which hungry eyes
are turned by the so-called dictator
ship countries.
Not Less Than Grave.
But the question may be raised
that war in Europe is far off, and
hence military and naval prepara-
ton for the remote contingency of
Americas being drawn into the next
conflict is unnecessary. Every bit
of official information available cur
ing the last several months hos
pointed to the gravity of the Euro
peen situation as a whole
Recently private informants from
European countries have stated
fatty to this correspondent that war
in Europe within two years was
almost 10-to-1 probability, and
that the next world war would start
through a conflict between Soviet
Russia and Japan, which would
afford the Hitler government an op-
portunity to seize the Ukraine and
add to Germany's march to the
east. Contradictory information
comes as to the strength of the anti
Chamberlain sentiment in England,
but the American Government has
made up its mind that a national
defense policy should be constructed
on the basis of American power
rather than alliances. desirable
though they may become in an in
ternational emergency.
Lesson From 1917.
If war is two or even three years
of, what is Americas prepare ton?
The lesson of 1917 was that bicker-
ing and debate delayed the Amer
lean program of national defense
between 1914 and 1917. Elements
friendly to the Central powers as
well as others who sincerely believed
America could not be drawn into
the war succeeded in postponing the
renovation of the Army and Navy.
President Roosevelt remembers we'll
the tour made by the late President
Wilson early in 1916 to argue for
preparedness" and the chill recep-
ton which his words received in the
Middle West. Mr.. Roosevelt feels
America paid big penalty for that
delay and is determined it shall not
happen again. That's why the new
national defense program will be
pressed as a demonstration to all the
world and particularly Japan and
Germany and Italy that the United
States will not be caught mapping
again in military sense.