Milford chronicle., 1940-06-07
WHO'S HEAD IS COOLl
BY }. Z. JONES

N@%NA-=-
A few months ago all the forces oi
the United States Government got
together and SOLVED" the twin prob
lems af '.neaee., aFd ;lsaeping Qnl
lof war. me Undertaking was car
ried through with proper delibera-
tion following discussions Of the
problems that came to the attention
Of all the people Of the United States.
The Neutrality law was enacted as
the result Huge appropriations we're
made TO strengthen the Army and
Navy
Millions of our people have been
listening daily to the radio broad
casts and reading everything in the
newspapers about the European war
What the late developments mean to
them were Interpreted by the Presi-
dent of the United States who COM
pared the spread of the European
war TO a 4-alarm fire which menaces
America IL not checked. President
ROOsevelt's special message on ma
tional defense is now q matter Of rec
ord, and the legislative branch of the
Government is wrestling with those
self-same twins; peace" and keep
ing out OF war" Neutrality doesn't
mean the same thing it did a few
months ago. There are plenty Of
reasons found in the news-like
these:
A plunge in the prices of corn.
cotton, wheat and other agricultural
products in the Chicago exchanges.
A crash in blue-clip stocks and bonds
on the New York Stock Market
High above all other voices rose
that Of General John J. Pershing who
declared that preparedness is as nec-
essaFy today as Il was for US when
the war was declared in 1917. He said
the United States Is in practically
the same relative position now as 1t
was in 1917. The great General, who /
has always kept his head. declares !
that this country must, within itself,
be prepared for whatever instant ac-
tiOn Is required for our security. and |
he warns that we must not delay
longer In our preparations
The stress of argument In Wash
ingtou calls for great increases in
the Army and Air Force. When Hol-
land fell your leaders in the Wash
ington Government began talking
about an Army Of a million men, and
about an emergency defense program
that will likely cost a billion dollars.
10 begin with
The formulas seem to be identical
With those Of 1856 when President
Wilson and the Congress were puF-
suing Neutrality, and hastily merged
I with armed preparedness
What the end will be, what will be
he price Of peace. or the price OF
var, no man can tell. But everybody
InOws that the people Of the United
States, as individuals, are not neu-
rails, and that practically everybody
HiIlerism and wants to see (
lis rule smashed.
Our own domestic affairs have suf-
cred enormous losses But there Is
Iut one situation at the present time :
hat might draw US into this war.
hat is the mounting feeling that, IL
he Allies lose, the war might be ex- :
ended 10 the weak demOcracies In
be Western Hemisphere, and the /
lnited States would become involved :
d protecting them. Up to the pres Z
ut, there seems to be no genuine I
ear Of the United States being at
icked-but even that is regarded as 4
possibility in Washington. \
So far as can see the situation is
3 stated above, but am not able 70 >
lok into the future, and ! am not
arried away by the predictions and
'ars Of lot OF politicians who think 3
lat the Mans. Communists, or Fas- 4 I.
sta are going 70 eat us up. On the a