The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-02-22

power is evidently being feared
and before it is too late they have
acted to take preventive meas
ures.
Every effort to force the Presi-
dent to declare his third term
policy has ended only in discom-
future to his interviewers. Your
! guess is as good as any one else's.
] People in Key West are blessed.
Tn Washington days pass and
there is no sign of Old Sol. Snow
is still in evidence and the melt
ing snow is plain "slush''. The
mercury persists in remaining
! below freezing. Key West has
no gray skies or lashing winds to
! freeze and numb the face and
hands. Key West assets are i'm
measurable and if exploited will
bring prosperity to her people.
You must advertise your city
and your climate and the best
you have to offer the tourist?
Why not advertise in papers of
large northern cities?
Several years ago I wrote sew
eral articles entitled, key West
the Gibraltar of America. Much
/ resentment was aroused, but it
was an effort to secure a broken
promise and a move against false
economy-the closing and re-.
opening of the Navy Yard. The
devastating effect on my home
city was great Many people felt
it was to become another Ghost.
City. The indomitable will and
the courageous spirit of Key
West people have ably demon
strated they can fight a losing
battle and secure a brilliant vic
tory.
We see chaotic Europe. Has
this been a factor in re-opening
the Navy Yard? Was it the rum
or of submarines or foreign YES
sells of war operating within the
territorial boundaries of the
/ United States?
I Key West is of strategic inn
portance to the Army and Navy.
If we are to secure the benefits
we desire we must act-thiS is
election year. Sit down and
write letters to your senators
and congressman, the more you
write the better. Let him know
/ you know he is still in Wash
/ ington and that he is to do his
best to protect and procure every
advantage for those who have
placed him in office. Key West
deserves to be the Gibraltar of
North America, the Gulf of
Mexico and the Atlantic and a
vital link in the defenses of the
Panama Canal America is not
invulnerable and there are few
of the South American republics
which are not ruled by a veritable
dictator, and Mexico is counting
japanese and German influence.
Remember the Azores are not
! far from Brazil and it is only a
matter of hours for the fast and
I speedy bombers to reach US.
Untold millions of dollars have
been spent on the defenses of
Hawaii and the Philippines. The
latter will gain their independ-
ence in g few years, and what
will happen to the millions we
have spent in building defenses?
Spend that money on good Amer
lean soil to defend American in
terests. Key West is relatively
near the Panama Canal. Here
can be built one of the largest
bases in the South Atlantic. Can
aircraft carriers, battleships and
heavy cruisers enter its harbor
and can we dock even light
cruisers? They surely could new
er approach through the North
west Passage, and there was a
question of a shelf in the main
ship channel few years ago.
Appropriations to carry on the
recommended harbor work have
been refused consistently. Sup
plies can reach Key West only by
highway or by the ocean. Our
/ highway is no definite source of
perpetual sustenance; what with
all the wooden spans that yet re-
main. AS for enemy submarines
even mighty Britain loses hun
dreds of thousands of tons of
shipping every month. The mighty
forces of the British Navy are
almost helpless to halt the on
slaught of Nazi raids on her air
craft carriers. warships and mer-
chant shipping.
We waited patiently for Euro
/ pean nations to uphold their
treaty obligations and as a result
our naval building was of incon-
sequence. Can our recently re-
! commissioned ships and our 9TH
err armed forces successfully re-