Evening star., 1940-11-09
BY WILLIAM III. STONEMAN,
Chicago Daily News Staff Writer.

by staying out of the war than by
coming in is, in the opinion of re-
sponsible British leaders, just SO
much bunkum.
If the people of the United States
do not wish to enter the war and
confine their support of Britain TO
the supply of arms and planes, the
British, perforce, are ready to ac-
cept that decision. What they re-
fuse to accept is the pet theory that
the refusal of 130.000,000 people to
throw in their lot openly with Brit
ain is to be desired and welcomed.
They have four immediate and
urgent arguments in favor of out
right American participation in the
war and in refutation of the Tets
help the British by not fighting with
them" thesis.
l. In order to win this war de-
cisively Great Britain will require
untold quantities of first-class air.
planes, tanks, guns. ships and small
arms which she does not now pos
seSs. If German bombing raids are
maintained and increased in feroci-
ty and effectiveness it will not be
possible for Britain to produce even
that portion of the necessary arms
which she has planned to produce
herself. Nor, for financial, techni-
cal and administrative reasons, can
she expect to fill all of her deficien-
cies here in this country and the
dominions.
Ultramodern Weapons.
This is a full time, total war,
which can be fought successfully
only with vast quantities of first
class ultramodern weapons Ger
many has been working night and
day for 10 years to amass the neces-
sary quantity of high quality weap-
ons, and she outclassed the British
and French when she entered the
war. Since then the French have
been knocked out of the picture,
the British have lost practically their
entire supply of guns and automatic
weapons and tanks in Flanders,
which they have since had to make
good. and the Germans have in
disputably continued 10 produce
arms of all Kinds at a greater pace
than the British. 1t is also prob
able that the Germans alone are
still producing more high-class air
craft than the British are acquir-
ing from their own factories and
from the United States.
In the face Of this situation the
British are still trying to speed up
production despite constant and
heavy air raids. and they are pur-
chasing and contracting for many
thousands of modern aircraft in
this country.
The fact remains that British in
dustry is still not able TO match
Germans war industry and may be
increasingly unable to do so if this
winters raids are as effective as
pessinists expect them to be. The
fact also stands that the United
States is still running its war indus
try as a side line In the opinion
of most responsible British leaders,
it will be impossible either to match
or to overwhelm the Germans un-
less the United States puts its in
dustry onto a 24-hour- day, full
wartime basis. And they do not
believe that this will ever be done
until the United States actually en-
ters the war
Question of Payment.
2. Even though the United States
were to make itself into one big
reservoir of war materials for the
use of the British Army, fleet and
air force, it would be impossible for
Great Britain alone to pay the bill.
She has been able to meet her COM
mitmentS to date, and she can
probably pay for all of the goods
which she has so far contracted to
purchase.
But it is inconceivable that she
can keep this up for more than a
limited time. All of the resources
of the United States and of the
empire will be required to finance
the program which will be neces-
sary to the smashing of Germany.
This is the opinion of Britishers,
and few people would disagree. Nor
is it possible to believe that the
people would agree indefi-
nitely to maintain Britain as sort
of a paid bodyguard if they them
selves didn't feel strongly enough
about the war to participate in it.
3. People in London disagree vio-
lently with the idea that there
isn't anything that the United
States could do to help Great Brit
ain now"
The last thing in the world that
the British want at this moment
is an American expeditionary force
in England, and they agree that
the American Army could not sup
ply such a force for a considerable
time. What they could use instantly
and what they need badly are light
units of the American Navy, certain
Al n n p nANEA ~>kBA