The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1939-02-02

WASHINGTON.-A very strong
course of action is being urged on
President Roosevelt with view to
resisting the aggrandizations of Ger
many and Italy, particularly in
Latin America, though the course
recommended would eventually, its
hackers believe, bring about a col
lapse of the Fascist and Nazi re-
gimes, and remove their perpetual
war scare in Europe.
The first essential step of the pro-
posed program is for the United
States to be ready to fight if neces-
sary. To this part of the program
the President has yielded consider
ably, as shown in his preparedness
message TO congress.
The next step, not TO be taken I'M
til after the United States IS SO
strong that this next move would
not provoke war would be to
start what would amount to trade
war on the totalitarian states. This
would mean the selling of American
goods at loss, when our own wage
and labor conditions are considered,
and it would involve permitting pay
ment for these goods by taking the
exports of the nations to the south
of us.
One of the advocates of this plan
illustrated the idea with Mexican
oil.
Il think, :" he said, that the Mex
lean government has the right to
take over foreign-owned oil wells.
That is within their power Of
course they should pay us for the
property so taken. But lets consid-
er what is probably going to happen
unless we do a little strong
work, so to speak. Mexico will have
to sell that oil to Germany, Italy
and Japan. 1t will take in pay
ment for that oil the goods made by
what, according to our labor condi-
tons, is virtually slave labor.
Must Sell Goods Cheaper
Than Totalitarian States
Nov we simply cannot afford to
let that happen. 1t will mean a
strengthening of Japan, Italy and
Germany which we cannot contem-
plate with equanimity if we are
hopeful for world peace. As mat
ter of fact, the progress Of this sort
of thing will eventually prevent us
from either maintaining our stand
ards of living or maintaining peace,
no matter how much we may be
willing to endure in order to pre-
serve peace. There will come a
time when it will be impossible.
$50 we must buy that Mexican
oil, and we must pay for it with
goods sold as cheaply or more
cheaply than Japan, Italy and Ger
many can deliver them.
I'VE must do that every time any
thing of the sort happens. Does any
one believe that other big invest
ments in Latin America will con-
tinue to be safe when every politi-
clan south Of Mexico sees that coun-
try getting away with it?
But the important thing for us is
TO prevent that sort of thing threat
ening our future by preventing the
totafitarian states from taking adj
vantage of it.
1--WE should have thorough UNI
Outstanding with France and Great
Britain, and the other democracies,
and we should 60 after world trade
with big stick. To do that we
must be armed sufficiently to pre-
vent the possibility of trouble. We
must subsidize exports to Slightly
greater extent than Germany or It.
ally or Japan. And we must buy
the products of these countries.
twill eest us a lot Of Nancy, but
it will be cheap in the long run. And
the cost will be Offset to a sur
prising extent by the stepping up oil
production in this country, which
will relieve unemployment"
Army and Nary Officers
Long Urged Preparedness
In demanding more appropria
tons for preparedness, both army
and navy officers are merely voic.
ing publicly what they have known
and been saying privately for six
years.
Starvation Of the army and navy
SO far as new material is concerned
began in the Hoover administration,
when poor business cut tax returns
and pinched the federal exchequer
This has gone on until with little OF
no purchasing of new arms, new
guns, new ammunition, and ever
new explosives, there developed q
situation which high officials admit
might easily have been tragic had
some emergency arisen under
which the army and navy would
have had to fight
The simplest Illustration is thai
explosives deteriorate. This is true
despite the occasional tragic acct
dent when some old shell explodes
as when it is plowed into on {
battlefield. But long range firing b.
big guns Is a matter Of infinite cal
culation. When naval or coast Dc