Evening star., 1940-06-18

Sacrlfice-that to be made by the
young men of America who must
train to protect our country from
any aggression and from any at
tack. no matter from what source
it may come.
To those who say that there is
nothing Congress can do if it re-
mains in session, l answer that
these things l have mentioned are
imperative and can only be accom-
plished in the main by congress
sional action Let us always re-
member. too, that only Congress
has the right to authorize commit
ments to foreign powers; only Con-
gress has the power to declare war,
and having such power Congress,
directly representing the people
should have voice in any action
that is taken by our Government
which may lead us to war, or which
may keep us out of war
Lose Authority With Ad djOurnment.
A Congress scattered by adjourn
ment to all corners of America can
perform none of these responsible
ties. While in session Congress
has the power to govern our Ma
ton. but for the period of adjourn
ment members of Congress have
no more governmental authority
than any other citizen of America.
In our military preparations let
US not make the same tragic errors
that our democratic friends in the
republics of France and Great Brit
ain have made.
David Lloyd George spoke in Eng
land yesterday. and these words by
that great English statesman should
be taken very seriously by US. Said
Mr.. Lloyd George:
Man for man the French and
British soldiers are at least equal
in quality to the troops thrown into
battle with such lavish profusion by
the German Fuehrer. 1t is true
that the Allies are considerably out
numbered. but as they can choose
their battle ground and are holding
positions more or less prepared the
enemy's superiority would not be
decisive had it not been for the
startling supremacy the Germans
have built up in all the most ef-
fective appliances of modern war
| fare.
The two branches of mechanical
, equipment in which the Germans
have been permitted by the stupid
complacency of the democratic lead
ers of Western Europe to acquire
indisputable superiority are air.
planes and tanks 1t has not been
done by stealth. We were constantly
warned by anxious observers that
the Germans were straining their
limited financial resources to the
point of insolvency to construct an
air fleet which ran into tens of
thousands"
In the light and in the face of
what has happened in Europe it
would be tragic-it would be GRIM
inal-if we deliberately made the
same mistakes.
Won by Machines.
The battles of Europe have not
been won by bravery. They have
been won by mechanical co-ordina-
ton of implements of war on land
and implements of war in the air
the products of long and effective
military preparation. We have a
good and efficient Navy-thank God
for that-but that is not sufficient
to meet the eventualities of the war
now raging in Europe.
For seven years / have voted for
economy in national spending. to
eliminate those things l regarded
as the non-essentials of govern
ment. But I have oported during
that time all appropriations for ma
tlonal defense, believing as 1 ALWAYS
have that adequate military pre-
paredness is essential for our Sc
curity.
want to discuss frankly what |
regard as the inadequacy of our pro-
gram for national defense within
the next l2-month period. What !
am going to say is not in the nature
OF destructive criticism. I stand
Fundamentally behind the Presi-
dent and our administration in the
desire for national preparedness, but
an analysis of plans now proposed
convinces me that the plans now
formulated are not adequate for the
| present emergency
| Let us be aware first that for ma
tional preparedness, excepting fol-
the Navy, we must start virtually
from scratch. We have no modern
tanks OF consequence and practically
no anti-air guns. We lack all those
other implements of war that have
proved such destructive factors in
the present European conflict. But
more serious than these things is
that we do not have an adequate
force of fighting airplanes. We have
fallen into identically the same error
committed by France and England
I pray it is not too late to correct
our mistake.
Navy Marine Air Force.
The facts l am giving you tonight
are not military secrets. They are
public information available from
public records. 1t is information Mr.
Hitler has no doubt had for many
months. Testimony before the Sen
ate Naval Affairs Committee was tc
the effect that in the Navy and
Marine Corps we have only 1857
combat or fighting planes. The
higher figures we so often hear
mentioned include training planes
and other non-combatant planes
But what we are concerned about
today is our force Of planes suitable
for front-line fighting in the event
of war. Of these 1857 Navy planes
l,l67 are pursuit planes and only
200 are bombers, and of these only
464 are less than two years old
Without claiming any expert knowl.
edge whatsoever of the effectiveness
of the different types of aifplanes
I think it will be generally conceded