Evening star., 1940-11-09
RuIe-of-

President RooSevelt'S announce
ment of rule-of-thumb policy under
which Britain would get SO per cent
of this country'S production of planes,
guns and munitions is step forward
which serves our own best interests.
In past months it has been our
purpose to allocate As per cent of
our production to foreign contracts,
reserving the balance to supply our
own needs. It is obvious that care
must be exercised in determining
what proportion of our arms output
can be spared for export. This Ma
tion is just beginning the formidable
task of building up its armed forces
beyond any level heretofore ap-
preached in peacetime. We shall
need an enlarged supply of all types
of weapons to train and equip the
men being called into the armed
services. But the quantity of mate
riel kept at home should be held to
the minimum essential for training
and reasonable defense contingencies.
We should never lose sight of the
fact that from purely selfish stand
point the Battle Of Britain" ought
to be our primary concern at this
time. If the defeat of the British
can be prevented the great menace
to us automatically will be elimi-
mated, and it is only because of the
realization that Britain may not be
able to withstand the assault that
we are making such unprecedented
peacetime strides in rearmament.
There is also the time factor to be
considered. At the moment, our
capacity for the production OF the
instruments of defense is dangerously
low. The rearmament effort in this
country is just getting under way.
Given year, or little more the
United States will be producing
planes, guns and munitions in guam
titles calculated to insure us against
attack from any quarter, but if Bri-
tain should fall before our industrial
plant swings into full gear there could
be no guarantee of our security.
These considerations do not take
into account the long-range aspects
of our problem. We are vitally in
terested in the shape of the world
of tomorrow; we are genuinely con-
cerned with the prospect that the
democratic way of life may be de-
strcyed elsewhere in the world. But
these are not immediate conSidera-
tions. The imperative need of the
moment is that of sustaining the
British in their front line fight
against aggression. If that fight can
be won, we need have no fear of
what tomorrow may bring.
The appeal from the British is for
more and still more of everything
useful in war. And our prime pur-
pose should be to supply their needs
to the very limit of our ability.
Our precise policy in this respect
obviously must be determined by the
President on the basis of the expert
advice at his disposal. At this time,
when our output Of the implements
of war is relatively low, it may be
necessary to keep half of our produc-
ton at home. But it does not follow
that we should adhere to that rule
of-thumb indefinitely. AS our pro-
ductive capacity increases, and as we
gradually accumulate reserves in this
country, it should be possible to send
an ever-increasing percentage of our
new planes, guns and munitions
across the Atlantic. Undoubtedly,
that is goal toward which the Pres
ident is working, and in the pursuit
of which he should have the unquali-
fled support of every American. The
important thing to keep in mind is
that speed is the all-important
factor. No greater calamity could be-
fall US than for Britain to be beaten
because we failed to give the maxi
mum of aid with minimum of delay.