Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1940-07-18
| Might Be
Wrong--BUT
by p. G. StrOmberg

our defense awakening billions
of words have been spoken and
written. Some of our national
political figures and many
writer's stress failure on the part
of the New Deal to have fore
seen the need for preparedness
and to have diverted some of the
billions. spent on WPA to
national defense. Others accept
the facts as they are attributing
our condition to public indiffer-
ence and a feeling of false
security. In defense of the New
Deal dreamers, it must be ad-
mitted that had the President
suggested tremendous sums for
building up our national defense
he would have met with instant
and almost universal opposition
and condemnation. 1t is, how
ever, unfortunate that our lead
ers lack the courage to tell US
unpleasant facts when they know
those facts by virtue of the posi-
ton they hold. In 1887 Presi-
dent Roosevelt said: "Let no one
imagine that the Western
Hemisphere will not be attacked.
There is no escape through mere
isolation or neutrality" Is it
not reasonable to assume that
the President had information
which led him to make such a
statement? And with such
knowledge could he not have
Sold" the country on the need
for adequate defense? / hest
tate to place blame for our Woe
full lack of preparedness. 1t
will avail us nothing. But it
does seem to me that what we
need in America = from our
President down to the smallest
officials courage to champion
principle they KNOW to be
right even though it be unpopu-.
lar at the time.
AS a result of our lack of fore
sight we must now proceed
with emergency efforts at a ire
mendous cost and we will be
fortunate indeed if we have
enough time. We have the will.
We have the popular support.
We have the energy. We have
the natural resources. We have
the manufacturing facilities.
We have the money. We have
everything except TIME and we
might have enough time if every
responsible person goes after his
or her job in the right manner.
And to go after the job does not
mean that some of the social
gains won't have to be sacrificed.
Many so-called social gains will
have to be sacrificed if we are
to finish such huge task be-
fore the approaching storm
which threatens from a black
ened horizon.
As pointed out in this column
before, l do not think that labor
needs to be coddled:. / think
that among our labor groups we
md our finest and most depend
able patriots. / also believe that
In those same groups we find
many sore spots. But they can
be SO much more easily detected
than sore spots in other groups
leven Officially. Ask any labor
ing man whether he believes
more in short work week than
ne does in protection of the free
dom enjoyed by his family and
you'll be encouraged and heart
ened by his reply. This plan
Tor national defense calls for
nerculeap effort on the part of
all. It does not permit any
political tom-foolery. 1t needs
ACTION, and ACTION NOW"
Twenty years ago the world
was glad to listen to plans for
no more wars. America took a
leading part in the historical
disarmament program. She
strapped the best Navy in the
world. Uncle Sam was the big,
sood-natured sap who didn't
even squawk much when other
Countries refused to pay him
"hat they owed. He registered
some disapproval of these coun-
tries spending big sums for new
ornaments, but he was a trust
ing old fellow who thought that
others were as good as their