Evening star., 1940-06-18

planes, of which one-third is less
than two years old So today we
have approximately a total of 1000
fighting planes and fully 10 per cent
of these planes are more than two
years of age. some being as old as
six and seven years.
A deficiency likewise exists in our
trained fighting pilots. 1t has been
taking a year or longer to train
good pilot. 1t has been taking a
year and half to two years from
the design board to the air to pro-
duce a long g-range bombing airplane.
1t must be obvious to all that there
Is no time to lose now.
What are our plans for next year?
That is to ask: What can the Amer
ican people expect to have in fight
ing planes, under the present plans,
on July l, 194l?
On May "a it was testified before
the Naval Affairs Committee that
the Navy expected to have a total
of l ,902 Navy and Marine combatant
planes on July l. l941. The testi-
mony before the Senate Military
Affairs Committee was to the effect
that on July l. 1941 the number OF
fighting and combatant planes in
the Army would be 1865. after max
ing allowances for the retirement of
| some of the more obsolete planes
now on hand. This anticipates a
total of less than 1000, under the
| current production plan, within the
period Of the next year.
Figures May Have Changed.
] am giving you the latest infor-
nation officially available as a mat
ter of public record 1t is possible,
OF course, that since May "a this
program has been enlarged and
speeded up. I hope so.
Oficials Of the Treasury last
Thursday testified that emergency
spending for national defense for
the fiscal year beginning July l, 1910
under plans of that date. would be
approximately $500 900 900. This
means that to the defense appro-
priations included in the budget sub
mitted to the Congress in January.
which amounted to $1,000, 900, 900,
there has beben added the emerg-
ency fund of $500 O6O, 900 for ex.
penditures within the next year.
beginning July l, making the total
expenditures for national defense
So, 300 900, 900 for the coming wear.
The emergency defense spending is
only slightly more than we will
| spend for Federal relief in the same
period.
Included for national defense in
the January budget was the peace
time maintenance of the Army and
Navy, which may be regarded as a
more or less normal expansion. The
additional 81 500 .OOO, 900 is to meet
the emergency that has occurred
since January. In my judgment this
emergency expenditure is woefully
inadequate. Unless plans are expe-
dlted and more money appropriated
we Will not be much better prepared
year from now than we are to-
day, in view of the heavy cost of
armament. A battleship costs nearly
SlOO, 900 900. A large bomber costs
S35O,00O, with the costs for other
essential implements of war in rela-
tive proportion.
This brings forcibly to US the need
OF financial preparedness adequate
to finance this great rearmament
program, which ultimately may cost
the American people SIS 900 900 900,
and some experts estimate a grand
total of $4,000, 900 900.
Must Save for Defense.
We began this rearmament pro-
gram with direct debt, including
appropriations already made, 48
times as large as our debt when we
entered the World War in 1917. It
is three times as large as when we
faced the depression of 1890. We
should at once eliminate all waste
1ul and non-essential spending we
should reduce, so far as possible,
the cost of non-"efense functions
OF our Government, we should con-
centrate all available resources on
national defense.
An amendment Is now pending in
the Senate to reduce non defense
spending by 10 per cent, which. if
adopted, will save and make avail
able $500, 900 900 yearly for national
defense. And let me give this warn.
ing: That the tax bill now pend
ing in the Senate, by which will be
derived $1,000 100000 annually in
new taxes, is merely a forerunner
OF greater and greater taxes which
necessarily must come as the cost
of our national defense increases.
1t is unfortunate that these vital
defense costs must be superimposed
upon a national debt already so
large.
AS American people. we must
tighten our belts, must look real
istfcally upon conditions confront
ing us and be willing to pay huge
taxes which are necessary for re-
armament, but by the same token
should demand of our representa-
tives in Congress, and with equal
force those in other fields of the
Government, that waste and ex-
travagance be eliminated from gov
ernmental operations and that nom
defense spending be diverted, 50 far
as may be possible, to pay the cost
Of ornaments.
In this day of ruthless aggression,
in this day when the force of might
in the hands of brutal dictators has
taken the place of the force of
reasoning, of justice and of right
eousness, the best insurance against
war in America is q Navy strong
enough and powerful enough to
protect us on the Atlantic and the
Pacific; great fighting Air Force,
co-ordinated mechanical equipment
superior to the implements of war
Of any nation that may attack us,
and a well-trained Army.
Aroused Opinion Forceful.
In the defense program partisan
and political considerations should