Evening star., 1939-11-18

be a saving OF az D"'" -"
least S5OO,0OO,OOO a year in taxes to
the American people,
Though there has been talk OF a
$4,000 100000 defense budget for the
Army, Navy and air forces OF the
United States, the more conservative
figure used hereabouts is approx
mately $4,000 100000 and this rep
resents about $500. 100000 more than
this year.
The Secretaries of War and Navy,
together with their aides and stats,
must plan now what money they
think shall be spent beginning
July /, 1910, and yet the whole world
situation may be altered by that
time. Likewise, war weapons con-
sidered useful today may be less
desirable from a military and naval
standpoint sifn months hence.
What sort of naval craft shall be
designed? What sort of alrplanes
shall be ordered, and what about
fast cruisers of the pocket battleshlp
variety versus the heavier and
slower types? The other day crltl-
cism was expressed in Congress that
the new destroyers were bit top
heavy and it has been asserted that
this has been corrected. A Jew
years ago American naval experts
were inclined to smile when new
japanese cruiser turned over. Today
the designers are on the spot because
they are being asked to do more
then ever before-to bring naval
war vessels to higher and higher
standards of effectiveness. There Is
less time for experimenting now
that the war is on--the aim is to be
right with the designs in the first
instance.
Europe's Arms Watched Closely.
But the real problem is how to be
guided by what is happening in the
war. America has her own intelll-
rence system-her military and
naval attaches abroad are alert to
discover how war weapons are work
ing under all sorts of conditions.
Thus, reports have been received OF
how the German mechanlzed dl-
visions operated in Poland and de-
tails are being gathered on various
phases of submarine warfare, mine
laying and air combat.
There is no doubt that if the
allies lose the war, American eX-
penditures for national defense Will
tend to 60 up. whereas a victory by
the allies will mean a slowing up OF
expenditures. This is because the
British Navy all along has COM
manded the seas, and Americas de-
fense plans have been predicated on
the fact that the British would
either be neutral or allied with
America in any future war involving
American participation.
Will the present war oe over in a
year? Even if it is, this will not
help the national defense budget
very much because appropriation
bills for the Army and Navy will
have to be adopted sometime during
the first half of 1910, and the prob
abilities are the bills will be passed
during the first quarter OF the year
so that a start can be made on new
construction and work continued on
present operations.
Politics May Play Role.
The debate on national defense
may, of course, become prolonged,
especially if it divides on partisan
lines. The taxpayers who are going
to have to pay higher taxes to meet
the new defense expenditures will
not wish to see Congress go to ex-
tremes in appropriations for the
Army and Navy. The political as
poets of the problem will come into
the picture, too, especially since the
issue of an unbalanced budget has
been more or less sidetracked by
war considerations in the last few
weeks.
Some discussion will be heard, too,
about using national defense needs
to continue pump printing and
altogether it may be said that the
whole question of adding S5OO,OO0,-
600 or more to the Army and Navy
appropriations will come in for
sharp scrutiny How much easier it
would be if someone could determine
accurately just when the war would
be over and how it is coming out.
But governments cannot be planned
on guesses, any more than can pri-
vate businesses. The theory of ma
tional defense is like fire insurance
nobody can tell whether or when
q fire will come-but a valuable
property. such as the assets of the
people of the United States, needs
protection against unknown contin-
gencies, and already America is
spending ,5O0,000,000 year for
such insurance of its national safety
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