The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-03-10
DEFENSE VERSUS POLITICS

Somewhat the same kind of political
influence that brought about closing of
the naval station, abandonment of the SUBJ
marine base, removal of the Coast Guard
base and loss of other desirable govern
ment projects to Key West now seem to be
logging this city's efforts to have the pro-
posed southeastern navy air base estab-
lished here.
Associated Press dispatches from
Washington set forth that, Rear Admiral
Arthur J. Hepburn, senior officer of the
Naval Advisory Board, informed the SEN
ate Naval Committee the board was look
ing over proposed sites (for the navy air
base) at Jacksonville, Miami and Fernan-
dina, Florida, and Brunswick and Savan-
nah, Georgia.
Again no mention of Key West! In
the advisory boards first report to Con-
gress, Key West was absolutely ignored
and Jacksonville was recommended as the
location of the southeastern navy air base.
In fact, the Hepburn board did not visit
Key West prior to the completion of that
first report. Why was Jacksonville recon-
mended? Officers on the Advisory Board
admitted Miami was better location "stra-
logically, but said the cost at Jackson
vile would be lower. 81
If Miami is regarded as a more strau
tegic location than Jacksonville, whatr is
Key Vests geographic position? Less
strategically located? Certainly not! Any
grade school boy or girl knows that Key
&c 70 no fn hQ
bean Sea and to the Gulf of Mexico.
If the cost of establishing navy air
base at Jacksonville would be less than the
estimates set up for the proposed Miami
location, what has Key West got to offer?
A more costly site? Certainly not! The
Key West Aviation Board has estimated
the cost of establishing the base by buying
the present Trumbo section, filling in an
additional $50 acres of shoal water and
providing unlimited anchorage and man.
euvering areas would be less than $5,000,-
00O-and that is about one-third of the
probable cost of site at either Jackson
Vile or Miami
Admiral Hepburn described the pro-
posed southeastern base as a Every ma
teral and essential factor in the national
defense There is no denying the truth
of that statement. Then, Key Westers
ask, who not establish the navl air base
where it will be really effective in the
national defense? Why put the base at
Jacksonville more than 500 miles away
from the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico
or the Caribbean Sea? Why put it at Mi
ami?
The answer to all such questions is
politics. Key West and Monroe county
cannot produce the voting strength that
Jacksonville or Miami can muster when
election day rolls around. Politics lost this
city virtually every worthwhile federal
project that was established here when
merit counted more than votes. Politics
cares not for the national defense; politics
is as blind to the public welfare as car
driven by rum-soaked nitwit.
Peter o. Knight, Tampa, nationally
known attorney and skilled politician,
recently urged our representatives in the
United States Senate to assist in restoring
Key West to the position she formerly ecS
cupied in the national defense picture andf
concluded with this statement:
81 hope to see the day when govern
ment projects will be established on merit
and not because of politics.
Who in Key West doesn't?
cETTv sN~ THE DArE OBJECTION