The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-05-20
WHERE AMERICA"
Editor, The Citizen:

The German Juggernaut has
smashed through the lowland
countries; even the impregnable
Maginot Line is proving not in
vulnerable to the blitzkrieg.
American sentiment is being
aroused, and the people are de-
handing aid for the Allies. 1t is
ridiculous for a nation like ours,
which possesses the major part
of the gold reserve of the world,
to possess the small army we
now have. Our air force is in no
position to compete with German
superiority.
A few years ago we court
martialed Colonel Billy Mitchell
because he dared forecast the
superiority of air ornaments and
our own sluggiShneSS in meeting
the needs for national defense.
Our defense is no bipartisan.
matter. A plan has been put
forth to buy the West Indies Is
lands, Bermuda and the Bahamas
to provide the Allies with badly
needed gold and to insure us ade-
quate air defense units on these
strategic islands.
How invulnerable is the Pana
ma Canal? Yes, our own Over
seas Highway is SPAWNED with
old wooden bridges. This artery
provides food and mobile units.
How easy would it not be to
sabotage any of the vulnerable
units. While there is yet time,
work should begin to replace
these wooden bridges. Is Amer
lea attempting to live on its for
mer glory? England relied on
the mighty Lion and today she
is fighting for her very life.
The White House is a busy
place these days. Cabinet men,
bers are sometimes called at two
and three o'clock in the morning
whenever a new crises arises.
The dirty gray walls of the State
Department reflect the pessim-
istic attitude of the diplomats
who visit within its age-old cor
ridors. The myriads of support
ing pillars entangle every side
with tentacleS that seem to fore
bode evil.
Z Our national leaders have made
no attempt to hide their personal
opinions. If we are going to
fight we must prepare-we now
admit we do not have the men
nor the motorized units to with
stand mass attacks on our Allan
tic seaboard. Last yera's maneu-
vers revealed our first-line of de-
tense is the Appalachian high
lands.
! We are pouring billions into
relief and projects that will net
no returns. We do refuse and
have done so conSecutively to
make the sorely needed appro-
priations to place our fleet in
the firSt-line of defense, while
our Army was smaller than
Hollands.
Can we blame Congress? Who
else can we blame? They are the
men we elect to protect our
rights. The millions for the
CCC could turn this organization
into an army unit.
Let your Congressman know
you are interested in national
defense. Let us prepare to fight
but only to protect American
soil and to insure our civil lib
critics. Weed out the Commun-
list and Nazi Fifth Columns in
America. Do we have Commun-
lists in Civil Service?
Where America? You are the
one to answer that question. The
looming months-the trend of
eventS-will all prepare the de-
imands of the American people.
Let us remain calm until we see
a threat to the United States or
North and South Americas.
| Europe and its inferno of hell
and war. its political machina-
| tons is seeking to drive us into
the war. Propaganda on the air,
in the press and the Church is
already at work crystalizing
public opinion.
We must not capitulate from
neutrality. American boys and
American blood viii be prepar-
led to die on our soil to defend
it, but are those boys going to
die on European battlefields?
No, not If we mind our own bust
ness and look TO our own de-
lfenSeS. Let's prove Americans
have good common sense.
I ALBERT G. ROBERTS.
Washington, D. C..