Evening star., 1940-05-20

pTegndDluty tnat we 90 not now
possess. Aviation is for us an
asset. 1t adds to our national
safety. With a firm and clear
cut policy, we can build an air
defense for America that will
stand above these shifting sands
of war.
But until we have decided upon
a definite policy of defense, the
mere construction of large num-
bers of aircraft will not be ade-
quate for our national safety. In
fact, without a strong policy Of
defense we will not even know
what types OF planes to build.
The speed and range of our
fighting planes must depend
upon the bases available for their
use. If we are to defend the
United States alone, then we
must construct numerous air
bases along the Mexican and
Canadian borders. Such plan
would require large numbers of
small bombers and pursuit planes
and eventually it would leave us
as vulnerable to air attack as the
nations of Europe are today. On
the other hand, if we are to de-
fend the entire Western Hemi-
sphere, we need long-range
bombers capable of attacking a
hostile feet a thousand miles or
more at sea. But there Is little
use discussing types and num-
bers until a defense policy is
established.
Cooperation With Other
Americas Held Essential.
This brings us to an issue
which must sooner or later be
faced. An adequate air defense
of the Western Hemisphere
necessitates the cooperation OF
the other nations of this hemi-
sphere. Our military aircraft
must have access to their bases.
Their foreign policy must have
some relationship to ours. We
cannot hold this hemisphere free
from foreign war if nations which
lie within it declare war on for
eign powers.
Let us not be confused by this
talk of invasion by European
aircraft. The air defense of
America is as simple as the at
tack Is difficult when the true
facts are faced. We are in dan
ger of war today, not because
European people have attempted
to interfere with the internal af-
fairs of America. but because
American people have attempted
to interfere with the internal af-
fairs of Europe.
1t is true that bombing planes
can be built with sufficient range
to cross the Atlantic and return.
They can be built either in
America or Europe. Aeronautical
engineers have known this for
many years. But the cost is high,
the target large and the military
effectiveness small. Such planes
do not exist today in any air
force. A foreign power could not
conquer us by dropping bombs in
this country unless the bombing
was accompanied by an invad-
ing army. And an invading
army requires thousands of small
bombers and pursuit planes. 1t
would have little use for huge
transatlantic aircraft.
No, the advantage lies with us,
for great armies must still cross
oceans by ship. Only relatively
small forces can be transported
by air today, and over distances
of a few hundred miles at most
This has great significance in
Europe, but it is not an element
that we have to contend with in
America. Such danger can
come. in any practicable future.
only through division and war
among our own peoples. AS long
as American nations work to-
gether, as long as We maintain
reasonable defense forces, there
will be no invasion by foreign
aircraft. And no foreign navy
will dare to approach within
bombing range of our coasts.
Only Danger Of Invasion
Seen in Meddling Abroad.
Our danger in America is an
internal danger. We need not
fear a foreign invasion unless
American peoples bring it on
through their own quarreling
and meddling with affairs abroad
Our eyes should not search be-
yond the horizon for problems
which lie at our feet. The great
est lesson we can draw from Eu-
rope today is that national
strength must be built within a
nation itself and cannot be
achieved by limiting the strength
Of others.
What of the unforeseen devel-
opments of science? Rocket
propulsion? New forms of
energy? New methods of de-
struction? No generation can
entirely safeguard the future for
those that follow. They must
meet their own problems as those
problems arise. The greatest in
heritance we can pass on to our
children is a reasonable solution
of the problems that confront us
in our time-a strong Nation, a
lack of debt, solid American
character, free from the en-
tanglements of the Old World.
Let us guard America today as
our forefathers guarded it in
the past. They won this coun-
try from Europe with handful
of revolutionary soldiers. We
certainly can hold it now, with
population of 10000, 900 people.
If we cannot we are unworthy
to have it.
But the course we have been
following in recent months leads
to neither strength nor friend