Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-29
Politics in Defense

The extent to which national de-
Tense and foreign policy have become
partisan issues in the current politi-
cal campaign should cause every
thoughtful American to be pro-
foundry thankful that the election is
but six days in the future. Those
six days cannot be salvaged, political
campaigns being what they are, but
after the ballots have been counted
it will be possible for the Nation
once again to give full attention to
the realities of building its defenseS,
and the spreading war in Europe
tells us in unmistakable terms that
the time is indeed shorter than we
think.
This effort to make political capital
out of the international situation
and our own defense shortcomings
has not been confined to any one
party or any one candidate, and for
the purpose of keeping the record
straight these facts are presented.
The President, speaking at Madi-
son Square Garden last night, said:
1.-The simple truth is that the Re-
publican party played politics with
defense in 1888 and 1889 They are
playing politics with national secu-
rity today" Then there followed
chapter and verse recital of Repub-
lican offenses, and Mr.. RooSevelt's
presentation, as far as it went, was
accurate. The Republicans he named
are guilty Of the offenses charged.
But what Of the rest of the story?
Why should the President, at a time
like this, seek a narrow political
advantage by trying to make it ap-
pear that his opponents are wholly
to blame for the inadequacies Of
our defenses?
There is the record" Mr.. Roose-
welt said, in speaking of his report;
there is the permanent, crystal
clear record" Crystal it may
have been, but it was not the COM
plete record.
Why did the President single out
few Republican isolationists for
specific criticism and ignore the rec
ord of his fellow Democrats, of the
Wheelers, the Clarks, and the Hollis,
who have fought his program at
almost every turn?
In citing the record of his own
accomplishments, why did the Presi-
dent neglect to state that the selec-
tive service bill, the very keystone
of the defense program, was intro
duced and sponsored in the House
by Representative Wadsworth, a Re-
publican? Why did the President
refrain from discussing his own
politically cautious attitude toward
this measure-a vital bill that prob
ably would not have become law
had it not been for the efforts of
men outside of the Roosevelt admin
istration?
And finally, in describing the short
SlghtedneSs OF his opposition, why
did the President not get down to
the events of last June? That was
the month in which France fell,
when the cause of democracy was
shaken to its very foundations. And
that was the month in which the
President made every effort to get
Congress to adjourn, stating that a
continuance of the session merely
would afford a few Congressman an
opportunity to make speeches. The
billions Of dollars for defense ap-
propriated since then prove beyond
dispute that shortsightedness is not
an exclusively Republican fault.
Mr.. Roosevelt is engaging in the
very offense for which he indicts his
opponents. There is little if any
essential difference between his re-
marks and those of Wendell Willkie
when the Republican candidate i'm
plies that the reelection of the
President will, of itself, lead us into
war. Both are playing politics with
defense