Evening star., 1940-05-14

could remain aloof from the conse-
quences. Now with the startling
developments going on overseas, a
condition akin to panic seems to
have seized some legislators Over
night they now want to correct mis-
takes that only time and intelli-
gence, rather than money, can posi-
bly, correct.
There is certain amount of hys-
terra, too, about the war bulletins.
The quick changes and the approach
Of German forces closer and closer
to the channel ports of England
makes the situation quite compar-
able to the uneasinesS which pre-
vailed in the summer of 1917 and
1918 when big drives were started
and German superiority of big, long
range guns had begun to cause
fright.
The spectacular nature of air war
fare has undoubtedly brought new
problems, but conservative military
folks still insist that airplanes do not
land big armies in countries of any
substantial area or fighting equip
ment. That Holland and parts of
Belgium would be overrun has long
been anticipated. but it took the
Franco forces in Spain long while
to subdue the Loyalists, and, while
the airplane was destructive, it was
by no means the weapon that alone
brought defeat.
Hone for Quick Decision,
What the new turn OF events
means undoubtedly is that the Nazis
hope for quick decision-they
believe they can frighten the British
and French people into submission.
But, instead, they are merely stirring
up a determination to fight pro-
longed war. The longer the strug-
gle, the more difficulty the Nazis
have in getting enough materials to
maintain their armies of occupation
and their air forces.
AS for America, the invasion OF
Holland and Belgium has set of a
spirit of determination, too. 1t is a
resolution not to be caught mapping.
Americas defense machine is not
adequate. 1t will have to be mate
rally improved. This means that
airplane production will have to be
stepped up fivefold. And this in
turn rebounds to the benefit of the
allies.
America hopes to keep out of war,
but military preparations will be be-
gun at once on the assumption that
America may be dragged into the
conflict. The Nazis may hope, as
did their predecessors in 1917, that
victory can be accomplished before
American might is brought to bear
decisively in the struggle. But the
difference today is that, while the
Nazis are confident of the use of the
airplane and other devices which
they think can bring the allies to
terms before the United States will
do anything about it, the prepara-
tions which America is about to
make will proceed on the basis out
lined by President Roosevelt last
Saturday night when he asked:
Can we continue our peaceful
construction if all the other con-
tinents embrace by preference or
compulsion a wholly different prin-
ciple Of life?"
viii Not Go Unchallenged.
This means that a Nazi victory
will not go unchallenged by another
group of powers some day, in which
the United States may play an active
part, and that from a military,
naval and aerial viewpoint, the
United States is planning to defend
North and South American con-
tinents against aggression.
Before long. it will be apparent
that collaboration of Argentina,
Brazil and Chile and the United
States will become necessary in or
der to agree on joint steps of defense
for this hemisphere Never before
has this been done, though in 1920
Brazil proposed an offensive and
defensive alliance with the United
States.
What Argentina's Foreign Minister
emphasized over the week end-the
need for revision of concepts of
neutrality in the light of realism
is already taking hold here. Neu-
trality laws as such, are not con-
sidered as binding as they were
fortnight ago-or, at least, before
the German government again tore
into scraps of paper a pledge as
solemn as any that has ever been
given to a smaller nation that its