Evening star., 1940-06-01
A Solemn MESSAGE


words, and ominous words are what
President Roosevelt used In his spe-
cial message to Congress yesterday
in support Of an urgent request for
another billion dollars with which
to throw up additional bulwarks
against the wildfire OF aggression.
Only eight months ago, when the
flames OF war first hared up in Eu-
rope, MIR. Roosevelt expressed belief
that the United States would escape
the conflagration. Millions of Amer
leans shared his convictions. But as
the war has spread with ever
increasing fury, the hopes of the
people and Of their leaders that this
hemisphere might keep clear of
involvement have grown DINNER and
DINNER.
So, scarcely more than two weeks
ago, the President laid before Con-
gress with dire realism an appeal
indeed, demand-for emergency
appropriations of more than billion
dollars to strengthen national secur-
ity. He spoke then OF these "ominous
days-days whose swift and shocking
developments force every nation to
look to its defense in the light Of new
factors" Even within the short space
of fortnight new factors have come,
swiftly and shockingly, to cause a
reappraiSal of defense needs and a
doubling of the emergency appropri-
ations. Death and destruction on
wings and on wheels have swept
savagely across Belgium and North
ern France to the very coast of the
English Channel. Crushing defeat
has befallen powerful armies of
Great Britain and France and BEL
GUM. The last great citadels Of
European democracy are in the
gravest peril. Americas front line
OF defense against totalitarianism on
the march is crumbling.
1t is not surprising, then, to find
President Roosevelt COUGHING his lat
est message in terms more solemn
than any he thus far has applied
to the crisis thrust upon the
world by a war-mad dictator bent
on conquest. The President bluntly
and grimly suggests the possibility
that not one continent or two con-
tinents, but all continents may
become involved in a world wide
war" Not so very long ago sugges-
tions OF this sort were being branded
as fantastic mongering, as "hys-
terical chatter" Today only the
blind and those who refuse to see
what IS staring them in the face will
so regard the. Presidents warning.
1t is no longer fantastic to suggest
that England and France may go
down before the mechanical might
OF Hitler's Germany. The danger is
real. Nor is it fantastic to consider
seriously the prospects Of a Nazi
invasion of the American Hemi-
sphere-either by economic or mill
tary methods, or both. That danger,
too, Is real.
Hence, there is timely and forth
right facing of the facts in Mr..
Roosevelt's recommendation for
more millions, more armament, more
safeguards, and, most important Of
all, more speed in preparing for the
expected challenge. The stress he
laid on the necessity for training
vast numbers Of men in the skills
required to meet production demands
in the defense industries is especially
noteworthy. Here is a real bottle
neck" that must be pried open as
rapidly as possible, else the whole
defense program will lag. OF con-
siderable moment, also, is his request
for authority to order the National
Guard and reservists into active
service in advance of actual war
duty, If necessary. While the specific
purposes of such a mobilization were
not disclosed except in general terms,
it is presumed that the President
wishes to afford the civilian forces
much-needed training in the field.
At the same time, he will have the
authority-now denied him-of call
ing on the Guardsmen in any emer-
gency that may develop prior to a
declaration of war. All of these
measures are drastic, but they are
sound and vital in the extreme. And
all of them may have an arresting
psychological effect on the forces Of
greed and barbarism now scourging
large part of the globe.