The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-08-29
(By Staff Writer)

fighting Presidential campaign.
That is the chief reaction of sea-
soned Washington observers to
Wendell Wilkes challenge to
President Roosevelt to meet him
face to face in public debate on
the isues of the campaign, Especi-
ally calculated TO get under Mr..
RooSevelt'S none-too-thick skin is
Mr.. Willkie'S challenge to him to
state the grounds for his assump-
ton that in seeking a third term
he is entitled to greater public
confidence than any of the long
list of his great predecessors.
The candidates speech, of &C
ceptance, rather than the party's
official platform is considered to
be the real statement of the is
sues upon which the voters will
pass judgment on Nov. 5. 1t is
now clear that there is no diver
gence between the parties on the
necessity for Strengthening our
national defense. Mr.. Willkie put
the menace of Hitler and our re-
lance upon Britain's naval
strength in the Atlantic into
palmer language than others have
done. Beyond doubt the interna-
tional situation will figure large
ly in the election returns.
Draft Endorsed
The Endorsement of the selec-
tive draft method of providing
trained military manpower, as
stated by Mr.. Willkie, is taken
here as insuring the early enact
ment of a measure to that end,
which may not follow precisely
any of the proposals originally
made, but which will not leave
much reliance on volunteer SER
vice.
Secretary of War Stimson was
able to report faster progress in
the rearmament program than he
did a week or two ago. Out of the
1000 planes for which appropria-
tons were made in May, contracts
have been let for 1900, mostly
training planes but including Sc
of the largest and most modern
bombing planes. Work has begun
in dredging the channel for the
':secondstring" Panama Canal.
The work of charging the Navy |
is proceeding faster than Army |
preparations, which are still held |
up by the delay in Congress in
amending the tax laws to give
manufacturers a chance to break |
even. The preliminary work of
preparing plans and blue-prints
in expectation of munitions con-
tracts is going on in hundreds OF
plants however.
Henry Ford has agreed to build
1000 of the most modern and
powerful type of airplanes en-
gines, and is preparing to into
plane production. The Packard
company is about ready to start
on the production of 5000 British
type Rolls-Royce airplane en-
gines. Every other motor manu-
facturer in the country is in a
similar state of readiness to 60
ahead once the bars are let down.
Announcement Surprises
The Presidents announcement
that he is in negotiation with
Great Britain for the establish
ment of naval bases on British
territory in the Western Hem
isphere came as surprise. Moth
ing has been disclosed as to how
payment would be made for such
sites in the West Indies or Can
ada. The proposal to deliver so of
our antiquated destroyers to Bri-
tain still hangs fire. Either some
such 'swap" or the reduction or
cancellation of Britain's war debt
to this country might be our pay
ment for the right to establish
naval bases on the islands of Bar
bados and Trinidad, and in New
foundland and possibly Nova
Scotia, as we'll as Bermuda.
All such plans depend largely
upon the final outcome of the
German attack on the British Is
lands. There is a strong belief
here among military experts that
Britain is certain to lose. That is
offset by the remarkable exhibit
ton of courage and unity by the
British people, and their apparent
success in their air raids on STRAIT
egic German centers and in fight
ing off the Nazi air attacks.
The President, in the course OF
his inspection of the Army and
National Guard forces engaged in
training manuevers in northern
New York State, met Premier
Mackenzie King of Canada at
Ogdensburg, and he promised that