The Ely miner., 1940-07-04
G. Z N e RAJ
HUGH S.
10 n N SON
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wNU Sern
Washington, ID. C
DANGEROUS GESTURE

| LiiS oClSStlOl VI ltlC
cans, Mr.. Knox and Mr.. Stimsor
as secretaries of navy and war re.
spectively, has a poisonous signifi-
canoe. They are both ardent TOM
tom beaters for war.
Mr.. Stimson has been raising his
voice for us to repeat the follies o1
1917 and 1918 in a steadily increas.
ing clamor until his most recent
blasts insisted on our conveying
contraband of war to Britain and
opening our naval bases to the Brit
ish fieet-both irretrievable acts OF
war.
Mr.. Knox has been preaching
armed intervention for months. This
choice leaves no doubt whatever
about the Presidents own inten-
tions. If he is not stopped he is going
to take this country into bloody war
as soon as possible whether it wants
to go or not-and with about IS per
cent majority, it doesn't want to go.
Both men are leading citizens with
honorable and distinguished rec
ordS. Mr.. Stimson was at one time
secretary of war and at another,
secretary of state. In neither posi-
ton did he leave any record that
would recommend him as a great
cabinet minister. AS secretary OF
state he was ready to use force to
oppose Japan in Manchukuo, a
course which, however high-minded,
would have been fatal to the Amer
lean strategical position in the Far
East.
Both these gentlemen have served
as volunteer temporary army Of
ficers in time of war-Mr. Knox
in two wars. There can be nothing
but praise for that patriotic and
high-minded performance. But a
little knowledge is a dangerous
thing. Such temporary service in
relatively subordinate commands
sometimes-fortunately not fire.
quently-leaves the veteran" with
the conviction that Providence real
ly intended him as a latter-day
Napoleon-or at least a master OF
strategy, logistics and tactics.
That is true in both these cases.
In both, this conviction has per-
suaded these gents that we should
commence firing tomorrow-before
we get guns to fire. That strategic
folly is another danger of this blitz-
krieg move.
Surely the President doesn't feel
the need of any such expert anna
teur military and naval advice. He
shares a similar conviction about
his own powers in these fields. II
was obviously not with any idea to
improve technical preparedness that
this move was made. It will have
a reverse effect. 1t is too clearly
a pure political gesture in an cleo
ton year-the coalition-cabinet'
sickness that the White House has
denied intending. 1t is dangerous
gesture because it is designed to
destroy the third term tradition and
erect war dictatorship by impair
ing our two-party system, which is
of the very essence of American
democracy-and that is menacing
and sinister in the extreme.
Mr.. Stimson won't do the war de-
partment any good. 1t will take
months to educate him in the COM
pletely changed condition since he
left-and his is the sort of inf1exible
mind which does not filter fast.
This is a cruel blow to the fine
work that has been done-especially
recently-by Louis Johnson in the Of
flee of assistant secretary of war.
Under a statutory mandate Mr..
Johnson's organization has done
much of the preparatory work nee
essary to rapid supply and industrial
mobilization. In its recent historical
fioundering to make up for its GRIM
inal neglect of preparedness, this
administration has simply ignored
the valuable product of work and
planning-by-passed it and paral-
leled it. Now it has taken the tucker
out of Mr.. Johnson's dynamic lead
ership and energy by kicking him
aside and giving him new boss
whom it will take weeks to educate.
DEFENSE BOOM
We haven't even scratched the
surface of consideration of defense
of our cities from sudden air raids.
That requires tens of thousands of
guns with some kind of semi-mili-
tary home guard and expert crews
and we haven't even begun to
think about it or to provide one
tenth of one per cent of the material
the whole program will require.
Shall we, like England, daily along
with a bunch of Chamberlains un-
til it is too late for any Churchill to
do his stuff?
Our effort to build our defenseS,
if vigorously and intelligently ham
died, should create much employ
ment and even some kind of an in
dustrial boom.
Appropriations asked for seem
tremendous but, if they are really
to prove sufficient and effective, we
amt seen nothin' yet. We haven't
even made good start. 1t has
been estimated by the best informed
authority that if the World war had
extended through 1919, our expendi-
lures for that year would have been
$35 ,000, 100000
War, whether offensive or defen-
sive, is now largely a matter of in