The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1939-07-10

for the chains of dictatorship, really
understood? Ignorance is the only
explanation for those who rally to
the support of the invading isms'
ignorant or malicious intent.
I'VE are continuing energetic eff
forts to keep America secure from
foreign aggression and from internal
subversion Our members are in
creasing steadily and this year we
expect to have fully one half mil
lion women actively enrolled in our
work, adding their strength to the
American Legions one million
members. We believe that we are
contributing something of real value
to the nations present and future
security. We know that the vast
majority of American women are
cooperating with us, as we strive to
serve, to keep America land of the
ireland nation at peace.
IN so far as you, the countless
friends of the American Legion Aux
iliary, cooperate with us in our vast
program of patriotic service, you
share with us in its splendid re-
suits, in the same degree.
And we are grateful for the
generous cooperation of our citi-
zenry in every community who strive
with us, to establish that high pa
triotic idealism and sound public
opinion which makes possible the
increase of civic Righteousness, JUS
tice and permanent security, for our
belived America
Ever since 1t was organized. the
American Legion Auxiliary has been
an active advocate of adequate ma
tional defense. In the years when
the American people were indiffer-
ent to their defenses, when pacif-
lists preaching total disarmament
claimed wide popular support, and
when the Army and Navy were
steadily declining in strength among
the armed forces of the world, the
American Legion Auxiliary fought
side by side with the American Lee
gion for the cause of national de-
Tense.
Nov we see a majority of the
defensive measures so long advo-
Gated by the American Legion and
its Auxiliary adopted by an aroused
America. Warships are again slid
ing from the ways of the American
shipyards, increased strength and
improved equipment is being given
the military forces. and vast new
fleet of airplanes has been author
lied America is building a national
defense.
The women of the American
Legion Auxiliary are not interested
in warships, cannon and other ma
chinery for making war. The OBJ
jective of our national defense eff
forts is not simply the building up
of strong fighting forces. The real
objective is peace. National defense
is only the means of securing peace,
in this troubled and uncertain world.
1--WE believe and hope that our
new warships will never fire shot
at an enemy; our new cannon will
never be fired, except upon a tar
get range, and our new airplanes
will become obsolete without ever
rising to combat. What nation or
group of nations would habard an
attack upon well-armed America?
Yet what tempting subject for
aggression a defenseless America
would be!
THE cost of strong defense is
high. 1t is the premium we must
pay upon our peace insurance and
in the dangerous world of today
insurance rates are necessarily high.
But how much more costly would
be war brought on by lack of ade-
quate national defense, and the
greatest cost would not be in dol
lars.
Twenty years ago we were emery
ing from a war-resulting from ag-
gression, encouraged by our lack |
of defensive strength. Today the
women of the American Legion Aux
iliary are still devoting much of
their efforts to the welfare of the |
victims of that war, the disabled vet
Grams, their families and the famil-
les of the dead. We know how great |
Is the human cost of war, and we
are convinced that peace insurance
Of adequate defense, is worth ev-
cry penny it costs.