The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-23
u. S. Defense
nv MILTON

The American program tnree
months after the Presidents can
to arms-seems to be travelling
much the same route OF detour
and delay.
Five billions have been voted
for defense, another five billions
almost certainly will be voted
soon.
Yet production lags. The Ma
tional defense advisor council
has cleared contracts for only
about IS per cent of the first live
billion.
There is a very great danger in
this. The public may be lulled
into a false sense of security, may
take it for granted that the cash
has been converted into goods, just
as the housewife converts her
weekly household allowance into
groceries very promptly.
That is exactly the kind oil
soporofic thinking that put the
British public almost fatally to
sleep some years ago. Alarmed
by the vast military machine Hit
Ter was building, Parliament voted
81, 500, 600, 900 in one lump for re-
armament.
But progress was deadly slow.
It was only when the war broke
out that the British public learned
their country sadly needed far
more tanks, airplanes, big guns,
anti-aircraft guns and machine
guns.
TIME IS
NO ALLY
The same reticence as to pro-
auctions prevailed in Britain as
now appears here. For instance,
it was proudly announced that a
certain airplane factory had in.
creased its production 300 per cent.
That sounded good but meant lit
tie.
If the factory had been produc-
ing 10 planes and jumped to 30,
that Was a 300 per cent increase.
But 80 airplanes are not enough to
brighten Hitler.
The British and French coun-
tries were repeatedly told by their
leaders and their press that in this
war time was on their side. They
were fed figures giving the vast
potential strength and riches Of
the two empires. The trouble with
that comforting twaddle was that
Hitler's generals, admirals and air
marshals did not give the English
and French the time they needed.
The Germans hit before the others
were fully prepaid.
I drew that picture for a men,
Der of the House Committee on
Military Affairs. His comment
was, Time is not working on our
side either. It is very much up to
us to work on times side. In
other words, we must not waste
time. We must get tremendously
busy. D~ictators wait for no man."
THREE CAUSES
FOR SHOWDOWN
There ri three primary causes
for the showdown in rearmament
that have so far been manifest:
1.-Congress, having promptly
voted the money for defense, is
holding up progress because, so
far, it has not enacted legislation
defining what excess profits tax
the government shall exact from
those filling defense orders. Nor
has it decided upon any plan to
allow the manufacturers to amor.
tie what they spend OF new
plants.
The situation is this a corpora
ton may have a plant ample to
take care of all its ordinary peace
time business but if it wants to
fill immense orders for American
rearmament it may have to build
extensive new plants which might
we'll be useless after the emer-
gency has passed. Business men
want to take care of this by being
allowed to deduct from the tax
able income Of the company each
year 20 per cent of the cost of
these special new plants. Thus in
five years the matter would be
taken care of.
Until Congress and the admins
tration act on these problems.
many of the new plants necessary
for implementing the American
rearmament program r simply
not going to be built. There are
exceptions, of course. Several big
airplane manufacturers have an
nounced they are getting ready
and are relying on Congress to do
the necessary machines, tools,
dies, gauges and precision instru-
ments necessary in much of the
work for the army and navy.
St also takes time to secure
and assemble the skilled labor
necessary.
MARSHALL
PLAYS POKER
It would be interesting if the
American public, which foots the
bills, could be informed month by
month of the actual progress being
made in delivery of material or
dered. In other words, if a box
score could be published.