Evening star., 1940-05-13

mistakes and weaknesses.
The administration-so the argu-
ment runs-has spent billions on w.
p. A. and relief to provide employ
ment when it might have been
building with the same funds an
adequate defense for the United
States against any and all corners,
thereby relieving unemployment and
having something to show for it.
Such position for the Republic
ans, however, depends for its ef-
fectiveness on a convincing demon
stration of the present inadequacy
of the military, naval and aerial
forces of the United States. The
facts are at present unrevealed Of
4. ficially. Yet the inside talk for sew
eral months in Washington is that
Americas preparedness for war is
absurdly insufficient and that if the
American people knew the whole
truth they would be as shocked as
were the British people when they
found themselves plunged into war
without big enough air force to
combat the enemy.
The most natural thing for the
Republicans to do is to insist that
Congress stay in Washington and
that a complete investigation be
made of what the United States has
failed to do in the last seven years
that the whole European world has
been arming to the teeth.
The Democrats, on the other hand,
will wish to point the finger of
blame at prominent Republicans
who have opposed military and
naval appropriation increases. Sec
retary Hull wanted larger battle
ship program about three years ago.
but was not backed up. The DEM
ocratic party, of course, has had
command of both houses of Con-
gress for nearly eight years now
and during that same interval the
whole armament situation in the
world has undergone drastic change.
The Republicans may argue that the
Democratic party must accept the
responsibility for sins of omission.
Within another month the Re-
publican party will be making its
platform. The pre- convention
speeches OF its candidates have en-
phasized domestic issues, but the
invasion OF Holland and Belgium by
the Nazis has made the American
people more conscious than they
have been Of the implications of
what IS happening in Europe. This
means that there will have to be a
change In Republican tactics.
1t Is unlikely that the Repub-
1icans will adopt simple stay-out-
of-war program because the Demo-
Gratis will insist they, too, intend
to stay out of war. 1t will no long
er be possible persuasively to argue
that the administration wants" to
drag America into war. The ar
gument now will turn on which
leadership is better in the event
that America, through no fault of
her own, is dragged in by world
events over which she has no con-
troll.
New Issue Looms.
The Republicans may find them
selves contending, somewhat as they
did IN 1915 when the last European
war was on, namely, that the ad-
m1ntstration was not sufficiently
vigorous or efficient in its defense
plans. The Republicans lost that
election by only slight margin.
I1nfnrfJIn fa1u
campaign, the German government
got the impression that the United
States would not fight for any
reason in defense of her rights.
The Democratic position in 1916
had been entirely "peace-an
prosperity" strategy.
But there is an altogether diff
ferent issue looming now. 1t fits
in with what the Republicans have
been saying for some time, namely,
that the New Deal has been en-
couraging a drift toward collec-
tivism. The Republicans might
contend that If a Republican Presi-
dent and Republican Congress
were in power, the American peo-
ple-even If forced into war-could
be absolutely sure when peace came
that their democratic form of gov
ernment and the system of private
Initiative would be restored to them
while the New Deal brain trusters
II left In command, would so COM
pletely transform the economic sys-
tenn as to make private enterprise
unworkable.
The Republicans will have tt
nominate somebody who has the
confidence of the country as being
unalterably committed to the sys-