Evening star., 1940-08-18
Mr.. WiIIkie Accepts

fundamental aspects from the realm
OF partisan politics.
On the two most critical issues Of
the day-adoption of the selective
draft as the only means of insuring
an adequate supply of trained man
power for national defense and the
extension of material aid to the
British as basic American defense
policy-the Republican nominee.
with characteristic frankness, placed
himself squarely and favorably on
record. He might have gained some
small advantage by sidestepping
these issues, but, as the text of his
address reveals, Mr. Willkie is fully
cognizant of the fact that this is no
time for political equivocation, and
he makes clear his conviction that no
aspirant to high office is worthy of
public. confidence unless he be pre-
pared to face facts as they exist and
to exert a positive leadership in
bringing the Nation to face them. re-
gardleSs of any narrow political
considerations.
Mr.. Willkie, possibly taking his cue
from the Presidents attitude, did not
deal specifically with the selective
service legislation now pending in
Congress. But he left no room for
doubt as to where he stands when he
said: Il cannot ask the American
people to put their faith in me with
out recording my conviction that
some form of Selective service is the
only democratic way in which to Sc
cure the trained and competent man
power We need for national defense" )"
In those words, the Republican
nominee rules out the uncertain VOL
unteer method of raising man
power which some members of his
party in Congress, as we'll as a num-
Der of Democrats, have been advo-
eating. Whether Mr.. WILKES in
dorsement of selective service as the
"only democratic way" of securing
the needed men will be sufficient to
secure favorable action on the Burke
Wadsworth bill remains to be seen.
but one thing is certain: Neither
Democrats nor Republicans in Con-
gress can oppose the measure now
without assuming responsibility for
reputation of principle which has
been unequivocally approved by the
presidential nominees of both parties.
With respect to extending material
aid to the British while refraining
from military involvement in the
present war, Mr.. Willkie was equally
explicit. Pointing out that British
naval control of the Atlantic has
been source of security for us, the
Republican candidate asserted that
the loss or capture of the British
fleet, with resulting domination of
the Atlantic by Germany, would be
Calamity for us" both in a mill
tary and economic sense. That has
been one of the contentious of this
administration, and Mr. Willkie,
agreeing with the President to this
extent, announced his "wholehearted
support of what Mr.. Roosevelt has
described as the effort to extend to
the opponents of force the material
resources Of this Nation" while har-
Messing "the use of those resources
in order that we ourselves, in the
Americas, may have equipment and
training equal to the task of any
emergency and every defense"
On other foreign policy counts,
however, the G. o. P. nominee
heavily belabored the President, ac-
cusing him of dabbling in "inflam-
matory statements and manufac-
tured panicS," and of "courting a
war for which the country is hope
lessly unprepared." These charges,
particularly the latter, are of a most
serious nature and should not be
made at a time like the present un-
less supported by strong proof II
Mr.. Willkie has any such supporting
evidence, he did not disclose it in the
acceptance speech.
The Republican candidate built
up his most effective case against the
administration in that portion of his
address which assailed the New
Deals domestic policies. His indict-
ment Of President Roosevelt's pol
icies for the rehabilitation Of the
United States, and the alternatives
that Mr.. Willkie proposes, will be dis
cussed in detail on this page later.
For the present, however, it may be
said that he is on sound ground in
warning that the New Deal program
is leading us to economic disinte-
grafton" and that American de-
mocracy cannot be rebuilt and pro-
tected from the dangers that menace
it, both from within and abroad,
without sacrifice, hardship and even
suffering.
Those who disagree, those who con-
tend that there is any easy way out
~ diA5 ,x,Ltet, hAe~k ,,r .~o