Evening star., 1940-08-14

bill, but the invasion Of European
democracies and non-aggressive
countries had shown him the need
for conscription as a preparedness
measure.
At the House hearing, Col. Knox
declared that should Great Brit
ain collapse under a Nazi at
tack "a pretended peace movement
would be our greatest danger be-
cause 1t would find large elements
ready to cooperate"
Although acknowledging that less
than q year ago he had declared in a
speech that a large Navy would
cause the United States to need
only $4,000 men in the Regular
Army and a similar number in the
National Guard, he declared that
events of the war had caused him
to change his mind on the need for
conscription.
Col. Knox said that the generation
which has grown up since the World
War never understood the respon-
sibility that was theirs in q democ-
racy."
Asserting they had led IAN en-
tirely abnormal life" Secretary
Knox declared that "one reason for
the failure of the many democracies
has been the softness of fiber" Of its
youth because they had not been
called upon for sacrifice.
Most Serious Crisis
The United States faces the most
serious crisis and the most grave
We have ever faced in our history"
he emphasized. 1T is impossible to
exaggeratae the gravity of the
crisis"
He said the whole truth of dam
ages caused by bombing raids on
Great Britain is not being told and
I'VE don't know what the losses are"
IF England should 60 down-and
I pray to God 1t won't happen-we
will be left without a friend in the
world" he declared gravely.
The onl ything to save us is to be
so strong on land, air and particu-
larly the sea that those powers will
be afraid of U.s."
He warned that the United States
may become the victim of a squeeze
play" between enemies In the Allan
tic and Pacific.
Col. Knox was followed to the
stand by Negro representatives of
organizations seeking a larger share
for their race in the defense
program.
DR.. Rayford Logan of Washington,
chairman of one committee, asked
that provision be written into the
Burke-Wadsworth bill against dis
elimination against Negroes in the
armed forces. He pointed out that
in June, 1910, there were 4,451 Negro
soldiers, S commissioned officers, OF
which 3 were chaplains, and II
warrant officers in the Regular
Army. He said the 1880 census
showed there were 1891, ,143
Negroes in this country, or 81 per
cent Of the total population.
Charles Houston, representing the
Pittsburgh Courier, a newspaper for
Negroes, declared "the Negro mi
nority in the United States is
Negro majority in the Western
Hemisphere" An artillery officer
during the World War. Mr.. Houston
asked that Negro officers command
Negro regiments.
$50 Pay Vote Due Today.
Altar ~, q nv uoorc of aHortr n,, tl.n
War Department TO attain pay par.
ity with the Navy. the Senate was
scheduled to vote today on an
amendment to the conscription bill,
offered by Senator Lee, Democrat,
of Oklahoma. which would provide
. privates first four months he
would continue to receive the pres.
ent base pay of $21. Pay raises
would 60 to seven classes of en-
listed men, with 1926 the top for
ron-commiSsioned officers. This,
Of course, does not include various
allowances for re-enlistment, quar-
ters and rations In the higher grades
open to enlisted men.
Little opposition was expected to
its passage, since Senator Wheeler,
leader of the bipartisan group op-
posing conscription, and many of
the others have argued for pay
increases to attract more volunteers.
The Regular Army and National
Guardsmen would be the first to