Evening star., 1940-02-11
IS AMERICA SAFE?
Continued from poss six

they really mean Panama Canal de-
fense. AS long as we are dealing only
with our twenty more or less friendly
American nations, we need have little
fear that they will attack and destroy
our precious Canal. These twenty
American nations do not relish the
prospect of losing their independence
to any foreign power. Some of them,
however, might not be adverse to
giving air bases - and possibly even
naval bases - to foreign nations that
someday might threaten us. Certainly
half these Central and South Ameri-
can republics" envy us and dislike
our big brother attitude. But we have
turned our other cheek to them. and
under the guidance of Secretary Hull,
have brought them together and
"sold" them hemisphere defense. Let
me repeat that this really means
Panama Canal defense - and the
keeping of all outside nations out OF
this entire hemisphere. Our great base
in Pearl Harbor and the air bases to be
built in Alaska and the Aleutian
Islands are vital parts of this hemi-
sphere defense in the Pacific. Our new
base in Puerto Rico adds to the safety
of the Atlantic side.
Possessed of a base in Mexico.
Central or upper South America. an
unfriendly power might be able to
bomb the daylights out of the Canal.
But they cannot do it as long as we
have sufficient long bombers to get
enemy aircraft before they can leave
their nests - and enough pursuit
fighters and antiaircraft guns to shoot
those down that do get loose.
But - and this is the essential
point we do not propose that any
outside powers shall get any such base
in the first place. We would fight to
keep them from getting it
matter if it is part of a future Euro
pean peace settlement. We consider
French Guadeloupe and British Bar
bados, for example, an integral and
sacred part of our American World.
The same is true of Canada. We would
not permit any outside nation to gain
the slightest foothold in this hemi-
sphere. We would 60 to war to make
that stick.
Efficient and adequate hemisphere
defense helps to guarantee our Canal
and the open passage through it - at
least until the day, scant half-dozen
years hence, when enemy bombers
can fly the Atlantic nonstop with
a load of bombs and return home. Per-
fection of the transoceanic bomber will
open up a whole new set of defense
problems for America, and they will
be discussed in later article. But
meanwhile our concern is with the
problem of keeping America safe for
the present and the immediate future.
All right. Let's assume that all of
the necessary requirements have been
met. Assume that all the vessels for
our new navy" are complete and in
service. Assume that the Panama
Canal and its approaches are ade-
quately fortified. Assume, also, that
no enemy bases have been established
at any point in the Western Hemi-
sphere
Does our navy then become ade-
quate to protect our national interests?
The answer is yes - Just so long as We
confne our national interests to our o,0n
Western Hemisphere. And that means
that we might as well stop daydream-
ing about our ability to use our pres
ent navy to defend the Philippines
\ against a hostile Japan or to carry
naval war into Japanese waters. Ad-
mitting that it is bitter pill for most
Americans to swallow, it's better to
face the facts now than later on in the
course of a disastrous war.
Undoubtedly, Japan will attempt