Evening star., 1940-06-10
Freedom Urged for
Defense Leaders
Says Political Interference
With Preparedness Effort
Will Prove FutuI
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
1t must have been extremely graft
flying to the Chief Executive to have
both Congress and the people so firmly
align themselves in favor of his request
for means to strengthen our national de-
fenses. 1t is perhaps the dominant
characteristic of the American people
that we can quickly lay aside our in
ternal differences in the face of grave
emergency and almost overnight become
strongly united people. This national
trait will 60 a long way toward assuring
success If we are called upon for max
imum effort in order to maintain our
freedom and security.
But we Americans are possessed of
strongly ingrained secondary trait that
is likely to operate seriously against our
chances of being ready to meet an ex-
treme national emergency. This is MOTH
ing more or less than our traditional
faith in the power of the almighty dollar.
We hear daily-hourly if we keep our
radios turned on-of four billion dollars
appropriated for national defense. 1t
seems tremendous sum, and for once
we do not ponder too seriously where
the money ultimately is to come from.
1t has been done, we say. The almighty
dollar has been set to work to buy us
protection against the swift devastation
now being visited on other peoples who
put their faith in the democratic ideol-
ogy.
Will it buy us the protection and Sc
curity we desire? The European situa-
ton, occasion for this discussion, fur
nishes deadly parallel. On the one
side are France and England with great
national resources and ready access to
most of the raw materials of the world
They have unquestionably the advantage
of wealth and materials necessary for
conducting extensive warfare plus the
means to limit the outside supplies that
may be reached by the enemy. Com
bined, they are able to place an army on
the field equal in numbers to that of
Germany.
On the other hand, Germany is not
rich country, having just recovered from
the complete financial collapse follow
ing the last World War. She is extreme
ly limited in the raw materials necessary
in the production of munitions. I'M
portation of these essentials has been
severely hampered by the Allied blockade.
In the face of these obvious disad-
vantages, how is the amazing success of
the German Army over France and Eng
land to be explained?
There is only one answer: German
efficiency. The country, controlled by a
man often called fanatic, has organ
lied war machine the terrible and COM
plete efficiency of which is something
never before witnessed in the history of
man.
Why should the German Army be su-
perior in equipment and tactics? France
and Britain have had longer to prepare
and better access to the materials re-
quired for preparation. So the explana-
ton does not lie in the factors Of time
and materials. One would hesitate, in
the light of World War history, to at
tribute more intelligence or ingenuity to
in the methods of preparation.
AS democracy and as Americans it
will be hard for us to face the apparent
fact that totalitarian form of govern
ment is more efficient in the mobiliza-
ton of national resources for a maximum
effort toward a military objective. We
abhor the ruthless methods utilized by
the relationships of Europe. Our ac-
cepted and desired way of life lies in an
opposite direction from that traversed BY
the followers of Hitler, Stain and Mus
solini.
Nevertheless, we are about to borrow
an idea from Hitler's government We
are going to copy his machines of war
fare. We are going to adopt the COM
plete mechinization that has made the
German Army so formidable against the
splendid soldiers of France We are
forced to do this to meet the threat
against our own freedom and security.
But we cannot legislate airplanes,
tanks and ammunition into being. Money
is certainly the first requisite, but it is
the easiest part of the plan to put in
action. Time is the most vital factor
If our arming is to serve It's purpose and
it will take all the genius of organization
that can be mustered to set the wheels
In motion If we are to turn out war
equipment quickly in the great quanti-
ties necessary.
Perhaps We should again borrow from
the totalitarian states to meet the emer-
gency thrust upon us by them. The eff
cient preparation by Germany was at
tanned mainly because there was mini
mum of political quibbling and muddling
to slow up progress and waste available
funds. Government-controlled industries
were organized, operated and directed
by the country's leading experts in these
fields. Such politicians as participated
did not have to ingratiate themselves
with portion of the population in order
to remain in power
Extremely few men in this country
have demonstrated the ability to organ
lie industry on large scale and to spend
tremendous sums of money so as to get
the utmost in results and value in a
minimum of time. These attributes are
special talents endowed sparingly by ma
ture: but, where they exist, they may be
developed by experience to near perfec-
ton. Our politicians are not among the
| individuals who have DISTINGUISHED