The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-07
Pershing And Lindbergh

PerShlng Ana LlnQDefgn
The contrast in the views Of General Perish
ing and Colonel Lindbergh, in their broadcasts
on Sunday night, was quickly seized upon by
the press of America. Editors generally found
the scales turned against Colonel Lindbergh
while, for the most part, they agreed in princi-
pie with the position taken by General PERISH
ing.
Said the Baltimore Evening Sun: 1T seems
to us that congress and the administration
should examine seriously General Pershing's
suggestion that the old dastroyers be sold to
Great Britain with a view to acting on it if it
is supported by a concensus of expert opinion.
Colonel Lindbergh . . is distinctive in his
calm assumption that the plotting out of the
last democracy in Europe can be a matter OF
Indifference to the United States" The New
York Times sharply c~riticizes Colonel Lind
bergh, saying though he "scorns the idea that
only the British fleet protects us from invasion,
the plain fact is that our whole new program
of national defense is built on the assumption
that what happens to the British fleet is OF
vital Importance to this country A policy
OIL COllplGI0 d1OOIlCoS JILL Jul Polt, SooAuAS 80
the loss of the British fleet, may be the most
risky and ultimately the ~costliest we could
pursue. Every consideration now available In
dicates this to be the case and recommends
the policy General Pershing would have us fol-
low"
The Cleveland News, a Republican newspa-
per, finds that Lindbergh nov stands four
square for the appeasement of Adolf Hitler. .
He thus associates his personal prestige with
the Communists, the American Nazis and all
other elements of the, so far, poorly organized
fifth column in America" The New York News
comments: 1.-Two pieces of evidence convince
us that the Pershing speech voiced the wishes
of President Roosevelt. . . We've been told
over and over again that our navy should be
doubled in size. Appropriations have passed
congress to make it so. How much can we
spare out of a navy that's only half big enough?
i. If We have to fight Hitler some day, as
We may, why in heavens name should we &C.
commodate him by sending our warships with
in reach of his bombers based on his land air.
fields, instead of compelling him to come over
and fight us within reach of our bombers based
on our land fields?" The News sets aside the
fact that if our aid to the British now could
contribute to the defeat of Hitler in Europe
there would be no need to husband even our
aging naval vessels against a day of attack by
him.
From the Atlanta Constitution we CLEAN the
following: General Pershing, speaking from
the full knowledge of the horrors of war, and
from the depth Of his experience, asked simply
that the nation face facts He pointedly
rejected the Lindberghian theses that help
for Britain automatically will be fol-
lowed by the dispatch of an expeditionary
force. Lindbergh, on the other hand, con-
fuses the issues by attempting to cloak his
actions in the guise of a crusade to keep
American youth from dying on European bat
tlefelds."
The Richmond Times-Dispatch balances the
opinion OF many men against General Perish
ing, thus: General Pershing's vigorous plea
that the United States make so World war des-
troyers available to the British Immediately,
that this country's naval high
thinks it would be an unwise step. Which is
better qualified to judge, General Pershing, the
aged and long-since retired World war COM
mander of the A.E.F., or the men in command
Of our navy today"
These extracts point one fact which is quite
worth remembering. While some editors disa-
gree with the position taken by General PERISH
ing, those who have anything to say about
Lindbergh agree, in the main, that he is no
longer in sympathy with the American ideo-
logy, if we may be forgiven for applying an
alien term to our native principles of liberty.
Mr.. Lindbergh is a sadly misled young man.
Rritain A1Oft