Evening star., 1940-11-02

Ic ItCOFcIlllS.
men unemployed today, as many a!
were unemployed when the third
term candidate ran for his SECOND
term. Mr.. Third-Term Candidate
tell the American people how it l.
that we have made no net gains ir
employment under your latest ad'
ministration? What is your pro-
gram for providing our people with
jobs? Do you subscribe to the state.
ment of your campaign manager
that there can never be jobs in pri-
vate industry for all our people?
"3. Mr.. Third Term Candidate
tell the American people what argu-
ment you have that has not already
been advanced by the dictators of
Europe as pretext for continued
power for offering yourself to the
American people as an indispensable
man?
a. Mr.. Third Term Candidate,
the campaign of 1892 is eight years
behind us. When will you begin to
discuss the issues of the campaign
of 194O?"
In his radio talk last night Mr.
Willkie painted a picture of New
Deal failure to foresee the need for
a strong air force until after most of
the democracies of Europe had
fallen. He said:
When the third-term candidate
first took Office in 1888 we had as
Sistant secretaries Of air in the War
and Navy Departments. These Of
fees became vacant. Mr.. Roose-
welt never filled them, and they are
vacant to this very day"
That, he said, was the third term
candidates shining tribute to econ
omy"
Less than year after taking Of
flee, he continued, the President
gave civil aviation "a tremendous
setback" by canceling all domestic
airmail contracts.
Recalls Army Deaths.
Every one remembers that tragic
episode" said Mr.. Willkie. With
out instruments, without prepara-
ton and without the specialized
training required, the Army was
ordered to fly the mail. 1t obeyed
orders. And II young Army avia-
tors crashed to their deaths before
an aroused public opinion compelled
the New Deal to beat a hasty re-
treat from this disastrous political
raid upon our aviation companies. n
The Republican nominee said the
only excuse given for cancellation
was that the contracts had been
signed under a Republican admin
istration. Ultimately, he added, the
contracts were restored, but, in the
meantime, our aviation industry
had been given a black eye by q
smearing investigation conducted
by Senator Hugo Black, who was
later elevated to the Supreme
Court"
Replying to the Presidents ref
erence at Boston Wednesday night
to efforts at rapid expansion of the
OIL III d1b 1lidooIly, 4slI w lllh1C dShCO
this question:
Mr.. Third-Term Candidate, what
have you ever done to encourage the
expansion of our private airplane
factories?"
Answering his own question, Mr..
Willkie said most of the expansion
has resulted from orders of COM
mercial air lines and foreign gov
ernments, especially Great Britain.
Cites Specific Case.
AS specific case of delay in ma
tional defense, Mr.. Willkie charged
that in August, 1899, the Govern
ment signed a contract with one
manufacturer for 38 large bombers,
including an option for 212 addi-
tional bombers, but permitted both
that and a subsequent option to ex-
pire. The second option was al
lowed to expire in March, 1910, he
charged, six months after the out
break of the war "and just two
months before the third-term can
didate rushed to Congress with his
talk about $4,000 planes"
"The option for the bombers that
are now being made by that plant
Mr.. Willkie continued, was not ex-
efcised until last April and then
only AZ bombers were ordered. It
was not until Al days ago that a
contract for additional bombers un-
der the emergency defense program
was actually signed with this manu-
facturer. And all the time since
August, 1899, these options tied up
that plant as far as other business
was considered"
Recalls Curtiss- Wright Case.
AS a second specific case Mr.
Willkie said the President also spoke
about the Curtiss-W Wright airplane
engine plants at Paterson.
'One of the biggest jams in oul
program of airplane production" he
said, "has been the effort to pro-
duce at the eleventh hour an eff
cient liquid-cooled engine. Such ar
engine was developed some years
ago by the Curtiss- Wright Corp. II
was called the Conqueror motor, anC
was the only great liquid-cooled air.
plane engine in the United State.
at that time.
But in 1896 the Curtiss- Wright
Corp. was forced to discontinue the
manufacture and perfection of that
engine because of insufficient Army
orders. AS result, our airplane
program has been slowed down ir
recent months because of the diff
culties in manufacturing a new
liquid engine. This situation
x,oiild aaoxro. has,a s.icasa iE Tia q