Evening star., 1940-01-07
Domestic Front

>SuuuSSku~ uVIIk
"Only an ostrich would look upon these
wars through the eyes Of cynicism or ridi-
cule," President Roosevelt told the re-
turning Congress on Wednesday.
BY other words and actions he and his
that they believe the Nations course must
be positive in the face of Europe's wars,
not drifting, negative.
To this end the Chief Executive rec
commended that Congress anticipate rec
ord defense expenditures in the 1941
fiscal year of some $1,000 900, 900, with es-
sential military appropriations of COM
ing months to exceed $4,000 100000 The
initial appropriation, he proposed, should
be $272, 100000 to defray unforeseen costs
of protecting our neutrality in past four
months.
To prevent defense items from further
upsetting the Federal budget-badly bat
tered in recent years-the President sug-
gested special tax levy good for $780,
100000.
Considering naval needs, the House
Appropriations Subcommittee called new
Secretary of Navy Charles Edison to dis
cuss the advisability of vesting the Chief
Executive with ex-
Huge Novol traordinary powers
Plan Urqed with reference to
mobilizing national
defense machinery, and to discuss the
possibility of constructing battleships OF
$1,000 tons.
Introduced by Chairman Vinson of
House Naval Committee was a bill au-
thorizing construction of 95 warships and
5000 naval airplanes. Early meetings of
this committee and of the House Military
Affairs group were expected.
A record peacetime procurement rec
ord for the Army was disclosed in 1899
fiscal year report of the Assistant Secre-
tary of War. OF a $3.50, 1000 total,
more than $50 900 900 was devoted to pur-
chasing instruments of aerial warfare
This particular expenditure is part OF
$500 100000 Air Corps expansion program
authorized by Congress and designed to
give the Army 5000 planes by 1e41.
Likewise breaking records in 1899 was
Navy program of warship building
with 80 cruisers, destroyers and sub
marines being completed and commits
stoned IN 12-month period. Under way
at present are 130 more ships, ranging
from mosquito boats" to 45,0OO-tor
battleships.
Matching reserved pessimism of his
chief about the gravity of worlds war
fever, Secretary of State Hull issued a
New Years statement holding out slim
hope of peace in 1910, leavening his dec
laratlon only to point out that there is
no lnevitability about war" if all ma
uons would but choose peace.
Backwash of war was report of Fed
eral Bureau Of Investigation that it had
handled 1851 espionage cases in 1889
as compared to $50 in previous y
months and average of IS in each of
preceding five years.
And on Tuesday the Department of
Justice filed correspondence with Dis
trlct Court naming eight persons ano
three business enterprises as being under
suspicion of illegitimate activities on be-
nall OF foreign interests.
Echoes Of the last war also rolled ont
OF District Court here on two occasions
last week.
One was memorandum opinion of JUS
tlce Jennings Bailey that his court is
without power to overturn findings of
German-American Mixed Claims Com
mission by which German responsibility
Tor Black Tom and Kingsland disasters
was established and damages awarded. .
Second was filing of a suit bv a New
YORK attorney to prevent dissipation OF
the estate of Grover Cleveland Bergdoll.
ora1t dodger, before payment of nearly
$oOoOO assertedly owed in legal fees.
Exlgencles of war throughout the
world make the administrations recin.
rocal trade treaty program more essen
tlal than ever President Roosevelt told
Congress on Wednesday, making clear
tnat New Deal leadership will do no
backing down in the bitter fight over
the controverted law. But disappoint-
ing to proponents of the program was
suspension on Friday of negotiations
with the Argentine, most elusive of mo-
tential South American customers
Ironically, exigencies of war were blamed
IN Buenos Aires for this action although
numerous other known factors have been
major obstacles.
Passage of eight transatlantic Ameri-
can liners to foreign ownership, Nor
Weglan, was assured with approval by
the Maritime Commission of sale by
United States Lines.