The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-18
THE DEFENSE MESSAGE

DY and large the editorial reaction or Pres1-
- dent RoosEvELT's request for additional ma
tionaI defense funds is what would be expect
ed of thoughtful men when the nation faces a
grave situation.
There was some criticism, some complaint
that he did not specify a program for pro.
viding the money he believes necessary for the
emergency, but there was complete absence of
opposition to the proposition that the United
States should so build its defenses that it may
never fall prey to the blood lust rampant in
Europe today.
In calling for $4,000 warplanes, the Des
MoineS Register thinks the President was
perhaps doing a bit OF gorgeous blufing for
the benefit of certain foreign listeners" to
which the Kansas City Star make unconscious
answer. Congress-" it says, Should give the
world a demonstration that in an emergency
a democracy can act as swiftly and as over
whelmingly as a dictatorship" The st. Paul
Pioneer Press believes the billion dollars of
emergency national defense money for which
President ROOSEVELT has asked congress 10 :.
extremely moderate.
The Omaha World-Herald finds the import.
NAS S-A"S ocooS C"S JAN . "AGopo6C II QaL
he senses the pathetic inadequacy of our C..
tense system and that he proposes to do some
thing about it." Injecting the Monroe Doc
trine, the st. Louis Post-Dispatch believes
president ROOSEVELT has the nation solidly
behind him. . We are too proud to modify
the Monroe Doctrine, . . so we must be pre-.
pared to defend it against every eventuality,
including a possible Allied defeat"
The Philadelphia Inquirer finds the message
the most reassuring and inspiring word from
any statesman since the lights went out in
Europe" In the same vein, the Miami Herald
thinks Mr.. ROOSEVELT gave a fair presenta-
ton of what it conceivably could take to pre-
serve peace in the Western Hemisphere" and
the Philadelphia Record says 'the President is
Ioo per cent right in asking -. quick action
and pointing out that preparedness calls for &C.
tual production" The Memphis Commercial
Appeal carries this thought still farther, in say.
Ing: 1T all adds up to the conclusion that this
nation would be silly beyond compare to neg
lect the establishment of a system of defense
that is as nearly adequate to any possible emer.
gencies as the brains and ingenuity of the
country can provide"
Agreeing with the broad principles of the
message, the Springfield Union, seeming incom-
potency among the Presidents aides, believes
the first step toward a bipartisan considera.
ton OF our needs should be the temporary
retirement, for the emergency, of the young
New Dealers of the inner circle who have
blocked every attempt to isolate preparedness
from politics." Something like this is the view
OF the Detroit Free Press. ut is to be regret.
ted" says this paper, that Mr.. ROOSEVELT did
not include 49,. a pledge that he would bring
to his aid the industrial leaders of the nation
who are great masters of the art of mechanic
ed adaptability. 80" This, of course, is a word
Dy big business which has often hit at. and
been struck by Mr.. ROOSEVELT.
The baltimore Sun, among the severest crit.
les of the ROOSEVELT administration believes
the arms program is sound and should be
enacted promptly" The Sun continues: mi.
ROOSEVELT -. revealed full understanding that
the United States has been overtaken by the
danger that isolation will be imposed upon us
Isolation on the terms of conquerors in Eu-
rope and Asia. . Brute force reigns over
most OF the . earth and we are not beyond
Its REACH Another newspaper, which has
found much to differ with in the ROOSEVELT
policies, the Chicago Tribune, declares "Mr.
r1oosEVELTs message may be taken as q
welcome indication that at last he liz awaken.
Ing to the situation and its dangers"