The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-07-18

(By Staff Writer)


outcome of the present Preslden-
tial campaign, whichever party
wins the election, will be a clarl-
fication of the foreign policy OF
the United States, and probable
material notifications in our ma
tional attitude toward the rest OF
the world. That is the belief OF
the most experienced observers
of Washington affairs.
The war in Europe, with Its
contingent threat of aggression
against this country, has brought
the attention of the average
American citizen more sharply
toward our relations with other
nations than at any time since
Andrew Jackson won the Battle
of New Orleans at the end of the
War of 1872. This is particularly
true on the two coasts.
The people of the Atlantic coast
have always been more acutely
conscious of foreign affairs than
those of the Middle West; and
the Pacific Coast has been SUI
fering, more or less, from anti
japanese filters for a quarter OF
a century or longer. But now,
Washington hears, the great re-
gion lying between the Alleghe-
MES and the Rockies is beginning
to look with concern upon the in
ternational situation, also.
Zone thing which has &C.
Cured" said an official of the
State Department recently, "is
that more Americans know about
the Monroe Doctrine and under
stand it's meaning and implica-
lions, than ever did before"
From the State Departments
point of view, our relations with
South America are of more i'm
mediate, vital Importance than
are our relations with any Euro
pean power.
Regardless of the ultimate out
come of the British-Fascist war,
the fact of the penetration OF
German and Italian influence in
Latin America remains, and the
present Administration is deter
mined to go the limit in cultivat-
ing such relations with Central
and South America that there
will remain no menace to our ma
tional interests on this Hemis-
phere. And on this point of hemi-
spherical solidarity there is ap-
parent in Washington no material
difference between the two par
ties in the political campaign
now beginning.
Lack of Opposition
Those who have been the most
careful watchers of public sentl-
ment as expressed in Congress
are frank to admit their surprise
at the almost total lack of oppo-
sition to the enormous defense
program. Expenditures author
lied and appropriations made for
the Army, Navy and Air Corps
in the past three months already
total more than 10 billion dollars,
with the prospect of another 5
billions or so to be spent before
the goal of a "two-ocean" navy
and complete defense of the en-
tire Western Hemisphere Is
reached.
There has been almost no pub
lie protest, practically no oppo-
sition from the opposition party,
although to carry out such a pro-
gram will involve a great IN
crease in the national debt, be-
yond the As billion statutory linn
itations. It will also involve hea-
Wy increases in taxes, which will
fall on everybody. Some of them
went into effect the first Of this
month. Washington has not yet
heard a peep of protest.
While billions have been appro-
priated for additional ornaments,
there are critics in Washington
who are asking if the program
for producing those ornaments IS
moving along at full steam ahead.
In general, there is great conf
dence in the ability of Mr.. Will
liam Knudsen, in charge of pro-
curement, and the able, assistants
he has surrounded himself with,
to get the nations industrial ma
chine geared to high-speed pro-
duction as fast and effectively as
anybody can do it.
But there is questioning here as
to whether the military and ma
val men have yet made up their
minds just what they want the
industrialists to make, and whe-
Their the heads of the Cabinet de-
partments have given the go
ahead signal. The Navy is be-
loved tn he moving faster than