The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1940-03-07
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U. s. DODGEs ISSUE

QOpe 10 eApdIlo ulIO Co1uliulo.
II the British can search an Ameri-
can air clipper in a British port and
take off her mail to censor it and
can stop an American ship on the
high seas and force her to 60 to a
British port to be searched, why
can't they stop an American air
clipper on the high seas and force
her to 60 to some English base? II
the British can do that, why can't
the Germans? If either Of them do
that, what are we going to do about
it?
It would be just as easy for a
high speed fighter to force big pas
senger planes to jump through hoops
as for a. surface warship to dragon
a merchantmen. If International law
permits that in the second case it
permits it in the first. The truth Is
that International law permits it in
neither case. By act Of congress.
we voluntarily gave up most Of our
neutral rights on the high seas to
avoid incidents" But we didn't
give them all. Is it right for our
state department to give up by &C.
quiescence what congress did not
yield by legislation?
We seem to have avoided the Ber-
muda issue by causing our trans
Atlantic clippers to fly nonstop
across the Atlantic. But, if a stop
at Bermuda for fuel, was advisa-
BILE in the interests Of safety, are
we risking ships and lives to avoid
insisting on the inviolability Of our
mails? If we are, what is going to
be the feeling in this country if one
of these fine ships is lost?
That is one bunch. Here is an
other: Why don't the Allied air
forces drop few explosive eggs on
the Krupp works at Essen? There
was a lot Of smelly rumor after the
World war about the immunity from
any kind Of attack on German mu-
milton plants in which the French
had financial interests. I am re-
1uctant to credit any Of that ghoul"
ish stuff but it is hard to understand
this inactivity.
An explanation of why the Ger
mans haven't attacked English
docks, harbors and industries by air
is that they are not yet equipped
with enough fighting planes with suf-
ficient range Of action to protect
their bombers. But that explana-
ton doesn't 60 for the French and
British laying off the Krupp plant
which is the very heart and lungs
Of German army equipment. It is
within easy bombing distance from
French bases and a few well placed
pineapples could at least seriously
annoy it and Mr.. Hitler.
It isn't our business to give any
kibitzer advice about war in which
we have no part. Also. there may
be . perfect explanation Of this in.
activity. But If there is such an
explanation and 1t is not inconsistent
with some other vital military inter-
est to give It, it certainly would be
good public relations practice-so
far as this country is conference.-the
make it known. The odor Of phoni-
ness in and about many aspects of
this war gets richer as the weeks
60 by.
It is all to be explained by a re-
turn to Eighteenth century strategy
when battles were few and inside
baseball Of economic and diplomatic
hi-jacking and poker playing decid-
ed the result. In those days, ar
mics were mere fragments of war
ring nations.
Wars without battles could 60 on
for years without shattering whole
| economic structures.
That is no longer true with entire
nations modified for war.
Now nations must seek prompt
military results or promptly collapse
from internal weakness.
NEW WAR MACHINES
The World war produced many
new weapons and methods-flame,
smoke, gas. tanks, zeps, mass air
fighting, depth and air bombs, sub.
marine detectors and so forth.
None Of the underground inven.
tons seemed to promise much. The
suggested machinery was too light
to do much more than gimlet and
scratch. That need no longer be
the case. I think we shall see some
real subterranean tactics if this war
goes unhappily on.
The reason why the World war
burrowing and trenching machines
couldn't be better was that there
wasn't then any such compact and
potent self-moving power plant as
the modern Diesel engine to pull,
push and heave. Even after it was
well developed in this country, NO
engineers seemed to realize the
weight and strength of the massive
machinery that it could move and
operate. Like the airplane, and
nearly all inventions in agricultural
machinery, that principal was recog.
nized by an amateur who is now
cashing in on it in big way.
I saw a yellow spiderv-loolxinp