The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-09-21

moned to service. their smokeless
rations viii run low during their
first year Of encampnrent.
The accident testifies postum
mously TO the state departments
wisdom In its dealings with the
duPonts. When the famous VIII
mington family decided to quit
the munitions business during
the merchants of death" inves-
tieation, administration officials
begged them to reconsider for
the sake of national defense.
Luckily. they did.
The complete disappearance Of
complaints OF concern - about
the appalling increase Of the pub
lie debt reflects most wildly the
wars effect upon American poll
tics. It explains why Wendell
Willkie-or any other opponent
of the administration-sets out
with two strikes against him.
The public debt ~ Of ''f7v
stands virtually at A b
lars. That figure is witnlA
billions of the new ceiling. which
was hoisted to IS billions after
regular and emergency expendi-
lures had catapulted through the
former legal maximum Of As bill
lions. The amount authorized
or appropriated for national de-
Tense recently touched Is billions.
which points toward = present
total load Of s.. II the money
10 dished out fast enough, 1t may
exceed the present limit by the
end Of the 1e41 fiscal year. Con-
gress viii be forced to raise the
ante again.
Ordinarily, this financial EN-
barrassment. with the assurance
of higher taxes. 4 higher cost of
living and possibly q wild orgy
Of imitation, would be sufficient
to doom the party or administra-
ton responsible for 1t. But the
people don't seem interested in
this problem. And when treas
ury officials are asked what will
happen when the limit Is ex-
ceeded. they reply: well, you
can't shoot anybody for It."
The manning with American
crews of the destroyers turned
over to the British at Halifax
may have established a precedent
for more generous aid to Britain
in the future. 1t may foreshadow
the takeoff from our landing
fields Of planes built for London
in Canada and the United States.
Fogs and storms win encase
Newfoundland within q few
months probably within a few
weeks. The famous airfield at
Botwood may have to be aban-
doned As the spot whence Cana
dian and American built planes
can be ferried across the Attain
tic. All our army-navy studies
Of this area report that 1t is suit
able for extensive aviation activi-
ties only In the summer months.
So the next request for assistance
probably will come via Ottawa.
though 1t will be withheld until
after the election. And II de-
stroyers could sail from Ameri-
can ports with American sailors
for Halifax, there appears to be
no reason why planes cannot
make the jump to Britain.
1t 10 generally believed in
army-navy circles that this
nation will turn over military
supplies in vaster quantity az
the presidential polls have closed.
And that goes. in their opinion,
no matter who wins the election.
Military experts here bank on
Britain's fleet rather than her
air power to save the island from
actual. physical conquest by Hit
Ter. But the question uppermost
in their minds is how much Of
the seat Of empire will be left to
save. After brief period Of opt-
mism, our army and navy top
notchers are again gloomy over
England's fate.