The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-06-20

WASHINGTON. - The new tax
measure is not just going to be the
sort of lick and promise which had
been indicated earlier. It is going
to be the result of considerable
study and investigation on the part
of the congressional tax experts.
Just a 10 per cent fat addition IS
out the window. Senators and rep
resentatives interested directly in
the tax situation pride themselves
on their understanding of the prob
lem ard they are going to have
something. trey are saying, to
which trey can point with pride
aerer the 1eSs revision comes up.
Then. soo. the bill is not going to
riA1ss -aae. mere seven hundred mil
1serss sectional that President
Roosevelt talked about. 1t is going
&C ne nearer twice that. not improb-
ably tll.son and half on top of
tire present tax load.
There are TWO reasons for this.
Ore IS that the amount of expendi-
lures necessary for national defense
has been constantly understated-
underestimate If you like. but
understated is more accurate. The
point here is that plenty Of people,
including the President, the admi-
rails, the generals, and the senior
members OF the senate and house
military and naval committees,
knew that the United States army
and navy needed the spending OF
several billion dollars to bring them
up to date.
AFRAID TO SPEAK
But-n1ne Of them thought the
public would stand for it. From the
President down, all were afraid po-
itically Of telling the country that
we had to spend billions more on
national defense. So there was
virtually conspiracy to let the ifs
cal situation, and the national de-
Tense situation, ride until after cleo
ton.
It must be realized in this connec-
ton that the fiscal situation was al
ready very bad. Even with terribly
inadequate national defense spend
ing, the government was headed di-
rectly for financial rocks. Every
one who studied the situation knew
that congress would have to impose
additional taxes next session. and
would have to raise the S45 900, 000,-
600 debt limit also in the session to
begin next January. But the Presi-
dent and the Legislators figured on
coasting until after the election was
over.
Then came Norway and Denmark.
with Holland and Belgium following,
and the drive to the English channel
On top OF that. For the first time
since Gettysburg there was real
fear in this country as to whether
this nation could 60 on being what it
has been.
SLOW TO MAKE CHANGES
It is not SO surprising to students
II naval and military history that
the navy suddenly discovers our
battleships need better deck armor
a. a protection from airplanes, and
that the army is woefully deficient
in mechanical units.
It is the history Of army and navy
s4affs Of most countries that they
are very slow to admit that changes
have revolutionixed their own art.
there is nothing new about this. It
= 4 failure OF human nature.
It is entirely probable that the
tremendous supremacy which Ger
many has shown in the use OF fight
IL machines in the present war is
de 10 the fact that its army and
nnvy have been under the absolute
domination for some years now OF
- outsider--a fanatic who was only
4 corporal in the World war, but
No achieved supreme power. In
cher words, 1t is the well-consid-
cred opinion OF many students Of
nndlitary and naval history that this
ruthless direction by man who had
RIVER served in the various grades
lending up to the high command
vas CT inestimable advantage to the
Naxis' military force.
The classic illustration, OF course,
d resistance to new ideas in the
nqvy Is found by studying the roper
cssions Of the battle Of the Merri-
nc md the Monitor, in our own
Civil war.
41On A LONG TIME
There were three lessons to be
] nrned from that battle, plus the
ely victory TIE day before Of the
] errinac over the wooden Union
Z (ps hing in Hampton Roads. One
! ~ Int m iron ship, or an ar
! bre> shiv. was imneasurably SUI
1fiokto = wooden ship. The second
y 4 1t for war purposes the screw
= bpd eY was greatly superior TO
d-fashioned paddle wheels.
y 4 a~p 4Ikef = - ila1us Dms.
2 turrets directly over the keel,
~ far more deadly in their FIRE
y - 4 larger nunber a guns
Hunted along the sides of - ship.
= Aerrimac had lot more guns
! "a the Monitor, but they were
r,npmted as though she was an old
6kitish frigate, to shoot through
in her sides, broadside
1aahinn