The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-07-17
(NEA Telephoto)

nations involved. War vessels
were sunk; and ships under con-
struction were ordered scrapped.
But following this conference it
turned out that under the admin
istrations of Republican presi-
dents, our naval building program
did not approximate the ratio al
lowed by the agreement entered
into. Our actual ratio began to
fall below that which the treaty
allowed us to maintain. While
other nations built, we took
nose dive in the ratio of our naval
ablishment.
Then came the so-called "Nine-
Power Pact" entered into by nine
nations during the control of our
government by the Republican
party, under which the construc-
ton and maintenance of an ade-
quate army and navy were still
further retarded.
Then came the so-called "Bri.
and-Kellogg Pact" by which near
ly all of the nations of the world
agreed to renounce war as an in
strument of national policy.
This hope for world peace was
made the excuse for further re-
auctions in appropriations and in
construction for our national de-
tense.
do not decry these efforts for
world peace. The American peo-
Pile, in common with most of the
peoples of the world, sincerely
hoped and prayed that war would
not again drench the earth in
human blood. p"
But it cannot be claimed by
those who were then in power in
this nation that anything sub
stantial was done to build up or
even maintain the minimum re-
quirements Of our national de-
Tense equipment.
Preparedness
In his address at the Philadel-
phia convention former President
Hoover made the statement that
in the six years preceding the
Roosevelt administration the ma
ton had expended $3.50, 100000 a
year on preparedness, but that in
1884 Roosevelt had draStically re-
duced expenditures for our de-
tense to $550,000,000, reducing the
appropriation for the Air Corps
alone by $20,0000,00o that Presi-
dent Roosevelt had reduced by so
per cent the commissions issued
the graduates of the Naval Acad-
envy; that the National Guard had
been reduced in its appropriations
and euipqment; that the Roose-
welt administration had reduced
the regular army to the point Of
having only $4,000 fully equipped
men in the United States Army.
If Mr.. Hoover had made these
misstatements of facts in the heat
of debate, we might excuse him,
but in these delicate and unsteady
hours of our nations history the
people have right to the truth
from one who has been honored
with the highest Office within
their power to bestow.
Mr.. Hoover did not make these
misstatements in the heat of de-
bate. He made them deliberately
in the quiet, sequestered drawing
room where he composed his pre-
pared address. But when he made
these statements he knew that 1t
was he who, in his budget message
to Congress for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1884, recommend
ed the reductions to which he re-
fers and they were made before
he retired from the Presidency
and before Franklin D. Roosevelt
assumed that Office on the fourth
of March, 1888.
Instead of reducing the equip
ment for the National Guard and
the Regular Army, which had been
brought about under Mr.. Hoover,
President Roosevelt recommend
ed and secured increased appro-
priations not only to restore the
decreases Mr.. Hoover had brought
about, but to increase these
branches of the armed services
beyond the figures attained at any
time during tn previous Admin
istration.
Building Up Fords.
Instead of having only rs 5000, we
have 241, 900 equipped soldiers in
the United States Army, and the
present Congress, on the recon-
mendation and under the leader
ship of the President, has author
lied an increase to $4,000 men
and will authorize further in
creases as fully and as rapidly as
may be required.
In view Of the abortive' effort
of the Republican convention to
fasten on the New Deal the re-
sponsibility for any lack Of ade-
quate preparedness that may now
exist and to elude any portion Of
that responsibility, let us make
some comparisons.
During the seven years since
1888 our government has expended
$500, 100000 more on the Army
than was expended during the
previous seven years.
In these same seven years, the
United States has expended ti,-
10000. 900 more on the Navy than
was expended during the previous
seven years.
These expenditures were recon.
mended and appropriated under
President Roosevelt and they were
made necessary largely because
ths Republican administrations