The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-05-16
Economic . /. i.
@MahA9hA

Happenings That Affect the Dinner
Pals, Dividend Checks and Tax Bills
of Every Individual. National and
International Problems Inseparable
from Local Welfare.
When war began, most Americans,
including those in high places in the
government were confident of an AL
lied victory. Today that confidence
has been considerably shaken. The
Istunning Allied defeat in Norway,
coupled with the developed fact that
Nazi Germany has war machine of
Ialmost unprecedented efficiency, has
brought with it the grim specter of
possible Allied loss of the war. Today,
most competent authorities seem to re-
gard the European struggle as toss
up, in which neither side has any de-
cisive edge. They think that anything
ican happen. And that situation is
forcing America to consider what steps
must be taken against the event of
"a sweeping victory by the dictators,
which would put all of Europe firmly
under the heels of Hitler, Mussolini
and Stain.
1t is apparent that sentiment in this
country is heavily in favor of expand
ing our armed forces, especially the
navy, as rapidly as possible. At the
same time, it is equally apparent that
we have no fixed military policy, and
that no one really knows just how
strong we must become in the light of
the strength of possible enemies. One
school of thought holds that if Hitler
wins, America will be faced with the
Ipotentiality Of immediate military and
economic invasion. This school of
thought is led, so far as the publ
cists are concerned, by Walter Lipp-
man, who observed in recent column
that the great conquerors of the past
have never stopped-that they have
gone on until, like Alexander, they
dominated the world, or, like Napoleon,
came to Waterloo. Their past sue
cesses in other words, breed future
campaigns. And the very fact that
their people are hungry and exhausted
makes it necessary for them to force
their armies on, in search of new re-
sources and new victories.
The other school of thought pooh
poohs this theory about 100 per cent.
1t believes that the victor in the pres
ent European war will be SO worn out
that it will take generations before its
energies can be sufficiently renewed to
make more campaigns possible. EX-
President Hoover has subscribed to
this theory in several magazine ar
ticles and speeches. And John L.
Flynn, one of the foremost of the iso-
lationist columnists, recently wrote an
article in which he scathingly decried
the interventionistl position, and OBJ
served that the EhgTish and Germans
alike found it exceedingly difficult to
move any considerable number of
troops with equipment into Norway, a
few hundred miles from English and
German ports, and used that fact to it,
Illustrate what he believes to be the i'm
possibility of moving a large invading
army across either the Atlantic OF
Pacific
Irrespective of who is right in this
controversy, it seems certain that mill
tary expansion will go on here. 1t is
rumored that the japanese navy is
dangerously close to parity with ours
and that Nippon has new battleships
of type superior to any we possess
Late reports from the European front
indicate that Germany has new fight
ling planes against which our bes'
planes, such as we have supplied tC
the Allies, are inadequate. And there
can be no question as to the weakness
of the American army. 1t woefullA
, lacks anti-aircraft guns, tanks, an(
other essentials according to the army
high command itself, as we'll as la!
commentators. And the new GarranC
rifle, of which SO much was heard ;
year or two ago, seems to have fallel
: short of testing experts
have lately reported that it tends t.
warp and overhead, and is otherwise
: faulty.
The trouble is that we have not de
cided upon any fixed defense program
and it is obvious to anyone that tn
kind of army and navy and air fore
needed to defend our own terrtoria
shores is vastly different from the kim
we would need to defend the far-Aunj
Philippines, or to again send an A. I
f. to Europe. In an election yeal
with both parties trying to win tn
} voters by any possible means, there i
!. little chance of program being de
Y fined-in all probability, it will renal
= as vague and indecisive as it is a
I present. The subject is too full of pc
Y litical dynamite to appeal to the office
,. seekers-it is easier and safer t
q talk in general terms Of national dc
:, fense.
u Business conditions in this countr
: are nothing to write home about. Thi
: year seems to be following the ancier
Il lIDrecpdpnt that q GENERAL election Yea