The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1940-05-23

-NeNS
Delivers Message In Person
BY Harold Knutson

Delivers Message In Person
On Thursday last the President
addressed both Houses of Congress
in person. His message was en-
tirely devoted to the subject of our
need for greater preparedness, with
a passing reference to the rapidly
changing situation in belligerent
Europe. Many were struck by the
temperate tone of his remarks as
it had been quite generally expect
ed that he would seize upon the
opportunity to lecture the dictators
of Europe.
The President laid stress upon
the greatly increased exposure OF
the Western Hemisphere to attack
as a result of the development of
aerial warfare. To meet this he
would have America geared up to
produce so thousand fully equipped
planes per year.
AS a starter the President asked
for 896 million dollars, divided ap-
proximately as follows:
For the Army SAG million dollars;
For the Navy and Marine Corps
$50 million dollars.
In addition, he asked for auth
orizations for the Army, Navy and
Marine Corps to make contract
obligations in the sum of 1856 mil
lion dollars. The estimate present
ed also calls for 200 million dollars
to be allocated to the President
to be spent for national security
and defense as he may deem nee
essary.
The Presidents request was
greeted with applause by the New
Dealers. In fact, the occasion re-
minded me somewhat of that day
% years ago when the late Presi-
dent Wilson asked a joint session
of Congress to declare a state of
war against the Central Powers.
AS I listened to the President
deliver his message I could not
help but wonder how he has spent
the eight billion dollars that Con-
gress has appropriated for national
defense during his two administra-
tions. That is a greater sum than
has been spent by any other ma
ton in the same period, save Ger
many and Russia, yet today we are
told that we are not prepared.
On the day preceding the Presi-
dents appearance before Congress,
General Pershing came out with a
statement to the effect that we now
find ourselves in practically the
same condition as when we enter
ed the war in 1917. The question
now arises, what has become of
the large sums appropriated by
Congress the past seven and one
half years. How has it been spent
Military authorities are generally
agreed that we do not have enough
anti-aircraft guns to protect the
cities of New York and Washing
ton against air raids and much OF
the material that we have Is an.
tiquated and obsolete.
Congress is not disposed to bt
niggardly in dealing with the ques
ton of national defense but we
must know that such money is be
ing wisely spent. There is a strong
lctllIs dhlollS ihC
publicans that before we appreciate
any more money for national de-
tense, we should find out just
where we stand and what our flu
ture program in international re,
lations is to be.
Debt Limit Reached
Back in 1917 Congress attached
an amendment to the second Lib
erty Loan bill which fixed As thous
and million dollars as the limit
for our national debt. That limit
is about to be reached and I an
wondering what the New Dealers
will do about it. There are sew
eral ways out. The President car
recommend that the law be repeal
ed and thereby set the sky as the
limit for our debt, or he can ask
to have the debt limit increased
to so thousand million dollars. OF
course, he will do neither before
election.
It may be that he will resort tc
currency assurances.
Title III of the Agricultural Ad-
justment Act of May II, 1888, as
amended authorizes the President
to issue billion dollars of green.
backs. He now has this power.
The silver which is being pur.
chased can. from time to time, be
monetized through the issuance OF
silver certificates. A reference to
the Treasury statement of May II
1910, shows: bullion, (silver), in
the Treasury's general fund OF
1,268, 61S,S40.2 oZs.; and this item
monetized at 1.29 per OF. represents
the additional amount Of silver
certificates the Treasury could leg
ally issue against silver bullion now
on hand, or say $685. 18,303 OF
silver certificates. Thus the sun
of these two items aggregates about
4635, 518 1903, to which the Presi
dent has access if he wishes tC
resort thereto.
The most honest way out would
be for the New Dealers to bring
a new tax bill which would in par
take care Of the increased deficit
but that, too, is out until after cleo
ton. 1t looks to me that he will
accept the old formula of passins
the price of this generations fol
lies and extravagances on to future
generations. You see, they canno
vote.
Would Investigate Investigators
An organization known as tn
National Emergency Conferenc
for Democratic Rights has writer
the ATTORNEY General asking 70