The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-05-30
Economic /. /. !.
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uIeSSSu Iuc SOIlkTSSS Will Ills IcIuSSl
for national defense program unpre-
cedented in our peace-time history.
There was only the deepest gravity
even as there was only worry and won
der on the faces of his audience. For
total war, long dreaded, doubted by
many, had come at last. Holland was
Germany's, and her bombers were but
80 minutes flying time from London.
The Belgian forces had all but capitu-
lated. The British and French were fall
ing back. The greatest military ma
chine in all history, the swastika flying
above it, pressed inexorably forward.
The problem before the President
and the Congress was not whether the
United State would go to war. There
can be no doubt that interventionist
spirit has immensely increased-yet,
even if there were unanimous support
for sending an A.E.F. abroad again, it
could not be done now. Our army is
small, and in need of vital supplies.
Our air force is minuscular beside
that Of foreign powers. Our industrial
machine is not geared for war. 1t
would, say the authorities, take a year
and perhaps more to prepare, equip
and provide transport and supplies for
a significant expeditionary force.
So immediate war was not the
problem. The problem was how to
to make this country ready against in
vasion and attack. The possibility of
a crushing Allied defeat was not men,
toned, but all think it was uppermost
in the Presidents mind. And if that
and Germany sat astride
Europe, swollen with success, what
would happen? Would the British fleet
fall into German hands? Would Hitler
lay claim to Canada, Bermuda, the In
dies and the other British possessions
in this hemisphere? And if he did,,
what position would America take?
That last question is easily answered
no one doubts that we would have
to meet force with force. And what the
President asked was that we give all
we have to getting an adequate force
ready.
Never has one of Mr.. Roosevelt's
many speeches met with so enthusi-
astic reception. Die-hard Republican
endorsed it almost in toto,
no less than New Deal newspapers.
Hoover said firmly, "The
President is right" The Republican
minority in Congress, with few ex-
ceptions, promised full cooperation.
The Presidents request for $4,000
warplanes, couples with plant capac-
ity adequate to replace that many an
nually, literally "brought down the
house." That was to be expected. For
few doubters still question the efficacy
of the air -arml.l lI.ss zs!sa 1s!ssa met definitely
proven it's ability to destroy major
warships, but it has proven beyond
question it's ability to harass, to disor-
ganize, to wreck. The British and the
French admit that air inferiority was
the prime factor to their failure in
Norway And air superiority was a
major factor in the success of Hitler's
bltzkrieg in the Low Countries-even
as it was last fall in the astonishingly
swift conquest Of Poland. Today air.
planes are any army's eyes, even as
they are great offensive weapon, and
a blind army is beaten army.
The $4,000 warplane request, of
course, entails long program
it is estimated that it will be at least
year and half before our factories
can turn out that number annually.
Of more immediate concern is speed
ing up of the army and navy improve
ment program started months ago.
More troops, more guns, and more and
better anti-aircraft protection, more
tanks, better protection for battleships
against air attacks, accelerated NUM-
tions production, great air-pilot
training program-such matters as
these are to be attended to with maxi
mum speed. For the experts have been
suddenly convinced that there is no
white population, were captured, the
entire Pacific Coast and much of the
Western interior would be in ready
range of enemy airfelds. And from
Greenland, Bermuda, parts of Latin
America and other places where an
invader might establish bases, today's
swift and deadly bombers would find
it easy flight to our great centers of
industry and population.
So the grim story runs. There is
some debate as to the details of the
Presidents programs uch as his
proposal that $200,O00000 be appro-
priated to be spent at the Executives S
discretion-but almost no question as
to its necessity in general. One sugges-
ton, made by Mr.. Hoover and others,
lis that we should thoroughly investi-
gate what has happened to past mill
tary appropriations before making the
new o nes-many believe that there
has been great waste and inefficiency
This may or may not be done-under
any circumstances, it is inevitable that
we are about to embark on record
breaking military betterment cam
paign.
From the economic point of view,
this presents many grave problems.
With distorted budget and gigantic
debt, it will be difficult to raise the
hundreds of millions military eXpan-