Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-15
American Optimism
Justified by Events
BIZ OlUen L. Scott.

OIdleS Will nave tlIle 10 prepare 10 meet
any military or naval threat that Chan
cellor Hitler can offer. This is true re-
CARELESS of the outcome of the battle in
Great Britain. 1t is true despite the
delay that has logged this country's
defense program.
Two factors are responsible for today's
greater optimism concerning the security
of this country and this continent
One of those factors is President
RooSevelt'S trade of destroyers for naval
and air bases in the Atlantic. AS part
of that trade the President received as
surance that. If worse comes to worst,
the British fleet-or what then would
remain of twill retire across the At
lantic to continue its policing of the seas
from bases In this hemisphere. Also as
part of that trade indirectly associated
with it, Mr.. Roosevelt obtained an agree
ment between the United States and
Canada upon the problem of joint de-
tense.
The second of the factors leading to
more optimism is found in the defense
orders placed in this country by Great
Britain. Those orders now total more
than So 900 600 900. They call for large
quantities of airplanes, guns, tanks and
other military equipment. To fill Brit
aims orders, American industry already
has been gearing itself TO war production.
Due in part to those orders many manu-
facturers have shown slight interest in
business for the American Army and
Navy, inasmuch as some of that buSi-
ness has called for limit upon profits.
No such limit is involved in the British
business.
In all of the argument about delay in
American defense spending no attention
has been paid to the British orders.
But while Great Britain holds out along
its present defense line this country is
confronted with no threat from abroad.
If Britain should be unable to continue
TO hold, the airplanes. guns, tanks and
ships being produced on British order
Immediately would become available to
this country. The production for Britain
would be added to what soon will be
rapidly growing production for the
American Army and Navy. resulting in a
total output of military and naval equip
ment Of impressive size.
Here then are two reasons for the rela-
lively little excitement in military and
naval quarters over the threat that Hit
Ter offers.
There is a third reason as well. This
reason grows from the difficulty of trans
porting a large army across any such
body of water as the Atlantic Ocean. If
Hitler should decide to strike before the
United States had swung into full stride
with its military and naval program he
doubtless would strike at Canada.
To strike at Canada he would need
more than the barges that are prepared
for use against England. Hitler also
would need to blast his way through
what would remain of the British Navy.
augmented BY powerful units of the
American Fleet. He would have to over
come the air resistance that the Cana
dian and American air forces could offer.
Then he would face what today is a
strong, even if small, Canadian Army.
After that the German dictator would
be long way from any vital centers in
either Canada or the United States
These are considerations that reduce
the concern over American safety in the
period of transition between the present
state of American military and air weak
ness and the coming state of American
strength on the ground and in the air,
to supplement what already is naval
strength greater than that of any other
single nation However, they are not
considerations that give ground for COM
placency, unless every informed official
of this Government is in grave error.
The reason is that Hitler may conquer
all of the continent of Europe and Eng
land as well, only to remain as dissatis-
fled as ever That conquest cannot solve
the Hitler problem of trying to keep up
his military regime in face of the sort Of
reaction that is bound to set in with
peace and with the realization ON the
part of the German people that all of
their conquests have not provided them
with the riches they dream of.
There is agreement here that the Hit
Ter regime. like the regime of every other
great conqueror of history, is so geared
to war that it cannot stop itself and
must be stopped. 1t appears that the
only two powers in the world that might
do the stopping job are Russia and the
United States. Russia appears to be
playing ball with Hitler rather than at
tempting to stop him. This leaves the
United States confronted with a real
threat
This country is pledged to meet that
threat with force if it appears anywhere
in the Western Hemisphere.
President Roosevelt long l7as recog-
nized the meaning of the Hitler move
ment. His recent agreements with Eng
land and his collaboration with Canada
place this country in much better posi-
ton to check any Hitler move that might
later be mad. in this direction.
AS things stand today:
l. Formal basis is laid for a merging Of
British and American interests in this
hemisphere and in the Far East-there-
by reducing the chance that Germany
and Japan might reap rich rewards by
default in event that England is forced
to surrender.
g. A broad domestic defense program
that will involve spending of more than
$1,000, 900 900 in the next six years,
e