Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1940-06-20

Idge and Hoover, the two DrancheS OF the SeIVlSs
were neglected Our regular army was allowed
TO 90 down to $4,000 soldiers. No new ships
were supplied to the navy and nobody then ap-,
parently appreciated what the air forces meant to
modern warfare, and those who tried to call at
tenton to this error, frowned on as Jngolsts
and alarmists During number OF years little
was given the army or navy more than what it
costs to pay and feed soldiers, sailors and ma
rines. When F. D. r. came to the White House
there was change. Gradually the army was in
creased and modern equipment supplied, and our
navy was built up until today we are in better
shape that at any time in our peace-time history.
President Roosevelt took cognizance OF the
wild charges made by the political foes OF his ad-
ministration in recent radio talk. In the last
two or three weeks" said the President, "ail
kinds of stories have been handed out to the
American public about our lack of preparedness
1t has even been charged that the money we have
spent on our military and naval forces during the
last few years has gone down the rat hole" Then
he told how the money appropriated tor defense
was spent: So much for doubling the number OF
soldiers, so much for the building of 2l5 ships OF
all sorts for the fighting heet-seven times as
many as the number commissioned during the
seven years preceding this administration. So
we have today a real foundation which to build
the fighting power to resist any assault or cope
with any other emergency that might be the out
come of the European war-instead of the starv-
ed, archaic military skeleton of seven years ago.
world as this has become no nation dares remain
impotent Hardly dissenting voice is heard to
the preparedness program enunclated by the
President in his message to Congress. Even
those uninformed, or simply malignant, who at
tempt to suggest that what has already been done
for the betterment of our defensive establishment
has been wasted, hesitate to counter to the
great voice of the American people applauding
the project of adequate protection. The country
recognizes that our one insurance tor American
principles, for the preservation of our liberties
and avoidance of involvement in the present strife
between democracy and absolutism lies in pre-
sentng to the world front so formidable that
no aggressor dare challenge
Had England and France in the few years past
but awakened to the need of greater war
strength, Germany and Italy would have avoided
the present war; With dctators, treaties, pacts
and agreements, mean nothing. The only thing
that counts is armed force.
1t costs money, to be sure, but the whole ol
the contemplated appropriations is less than what
it would cost us in month of desperate war
not taking into account the price we would have
to pay if such war went against us.
We are the strongest economic power in the
world we are the richest country in the world
we must be the most powerful country in the
world if our riches are to be guarded against any
nation or aggregation of nations that might covet
treasures and, carrying their policy of ag-
grandizement and conquest, venture to reach for
the prizes of the Americas
Now don't misunderstood us. We don't believe
in preparedness because want war, but quite
the opposite-because want peace In the
face of what has taken place in Europe, of how
peace-oving, would-be neutral nations avoided
war, and then found themselves run over and
taken by brute force without warning, what other
method is left to stop such, only by meeting force
with force. A rattle snake warns before strik-
ing. Some dctators, haven't that much principle
they strike the innocent without warning.