Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-12-30
Total Aid to Britain

Total Ala 10 DrltdlIl
President Roo>evelt'> address IL
the nation Sunday night served no,
tice to the country and 70 the world
that the policy OF the adniniStra'
ton is one OF total aid 10 Britain
in winning the war. That WAS al
ready we'll known and is pretty gen
orally approved and supported by
the people.
The President reiterated his nope
and purpose TO steer clear OF actual
combat. but WAS emphatic III his as
sertion that the best and Sure>t way
10 avoid Way WAS l. send every pos
sible aid in materials and equipment
to Britain as quickly rs possible.
The statement that there Is no IN
tention by any member OF your GOV
eminent 10 send" men 10 Europe was
extremely restricted III scope and Is
not guarantee that men will not
be sent eventually.
Mr.. Roosevelt spoke plainly IN de
nunciation OF uaZi war aims. and
held little hope OF peace until the
dictatorS were put down.
There WAS in the address equal
warning to capital and lubor that
the administration and the country
expect an end 10 strikes and lock-
outs in defense industries. We hope
the President will keep that in mind
and make it the basis OF action.
There have been no lockoutS that
we have heard OF. but numerous
strikes. and nearly all OF them on
the pureSt OF technicalitieS, and on
the ground of putting selfish motives
ahead of the nations welfare. It is
policy. as has been observed III
this column before, closely akin 10
that which encompaSSed the down
fall OF France last summer, and
which, if unchecked. will do the
same for the United States.
While the President spoke frank
ly as far as he went, and minced
no words in outlining the very gen
uine menace this country faces, it
was refreshing, and one OF the high
spots of the address, we think, to
hear him say ne believes the axis
powers will not win this war. OF
course, ii ne did think they would
he might Of all men be most miser-
able. We kept listening for some
thing like that all the way until he
got to it, and he left us wishing he
had gone still further in qualifying
the statement tC some extent.
The Presidents reference to our
own preparedness program were in
the most general termS-hoW we did
wish he mad been more specific,
with definite assurances about what
has been and is being done. His
declaration that there will be no
bottleneckS in aiding Britain, and
that no dictator and no combina,
ton OF dictatorS will weaken our de
termination to that end is something
we hope Hitler and MuSsolini heard
and that it made an impression on
them.
The assertion that our present eF
forts are not enough was something
every one already knew, but coming
from the chief executive himSel
may be taken as an indication tina
every possible energy will be exert
ed to the end that greater speed may
be achieved.
The Daily Dispatch commented
only last week that the real ISSUE
facing this country is that OF aSsum
ing the risk of aiding Britain ant
thus moving toward speedler ant
more certain victory without tina
war of our own, or standing aSld
and allowing Britain to go unoel
only to take our turn at the tat
that has come to other nations. "
assume from the Presidents addreS
that that is precisely his own loe
also.
1t is no longer question OIL lsols