The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-01
WILMINGTON's OPPORTUNITY

WILMINGTON's opportunity for service is
cy. To perform this service there must be
new leadership, new thinking, new planning
and new execution.
Because of it's exposed situation and it's
strategic advantage, this opportunity is not
excelled on the Atlantic seaboard. With the
North Carolina coast alarmingly near the Brit
ish islands, the Bahamas and the Bermudas.
it is important that provisions be made to
meet an invading force with Overwhelming
strength. Because of it's rich backland and
easy access from manufacturing centers west
of the state line, it assumes tremendous po-
tential value for the transport of men, mum
tons and supplies under high pressure.
If these conditions are fully realized at
Washington, and utilized, Wilmington will be-
come a center of activity far greater than it's
most optimistic and hopeful citizens has dared
dream of. But to have them appreciated in
their complete capacity for service it will be
necessary for Wilmington's conservatives to
yield control to more aggressive, more con-
structive, more liberal and harder working,
younger men.
1t is obvious that the defense program must
include a greatly increased and highly devel.
oped highway system for the quick transport
of materials and, if attack comes, for the fast
movement of large bodies of men and war
equipment. The present highways are not
wholly adequate to the demands of peacetime
4,a.-1 r. -u..1 l.. ..--;l 4la,.c.. Sos,
them to meet the military need in addition.
II seems probable that the government will
have to build new roads and strengthen old
ones for the heavier burden the defense emer-
gency is creating.
+ A new coastal highway, wider, stronger,
even straighter than any now existing would
appear necessary, in view Of the fact that
coastal defenses must be greatly increased and
coastal transportation facilities of the best
type be made available. Other roads reaching
inland and connecting with the coastal road
are almost equally necessary, for bringing up
guns, troops, supplies of all sorts, from the
rich industrial and agricultural districts of
the southeast.
WllmingtOn's availability as a terminal on
this new highway gridiron is obvious. There
are already drafted plans for direct highway
communication from Wilmington to Birming.
ham, which will become the chief center of
manufacturing in the south under the high
pressure defense program. With this estab-
lished, as it should be, and will be if Whining
tons best leadership sponsors it, this city will
inevitably become the hub of a vast distribute
ing area both during the period of defense
preparation and throughout the defense crisis,
however long that lasts.
This matter of highways is noted only as
an illustration OF W1lmington's new opportu-
nifty, not because it is the only way open for
the city's participation in the defense pro.
gram. There are several others equally i'm
%portant. 1t is available for the training Of
large military groups both for ground and
air service. 1t is available for shipyards..
With a harbor which reaches practically to
the ocean,, it is available as a submarine base
and refuge for a mosquito fleet such as the
Nazis are using so effectively against Allied
craft in the English channel. 1t is the pur-
pose to have more to say about these later.
There is no foreseeing what the European
war may bring forth. We cannot know what
the United States will have to do to remain
Tree and safe. But We in Wilmington can see
mat never in the citys long history has such
an opportunity for service, for the nation first.
TOR ourselves in the second place, been laid
before us. New vision, new leadership, new
thinking, alone can turn the opportunity into
achievement.