The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-09-12

(By Staff Writer)

Washing LOII.;-- A44C
demand that Congress enact the
Burke-Wadsworth selective drat1
bill within a two-weeks PERIOD
was calculated to put an end tc
the long debate on the question
of draft versus volunteer enlist
ments. AS Senator Vandenberg
one of the strong opponents OF
the draft, remarked, all thai
could be said on the subject had
been said in the first few days
But there is still a large element
in both Houses of Congress, OF
Senators and Representatives who
don't want to put themselves on
record until after election.
The appointment by the Presl-
dent of Mayor LaGuardia OF New
York as the only civilian member
of the Canadian-American JOINT
Board of Defense was the oppor-
tunity Mr.. Roosevelt has been
seeking to attach the fighting lit
tie Mayor to his administration.
He has offered La Guardia,
more than once, important Cabl-
net posts and other jobs, which
the Mayor has always declined
with thanks, though he is a warm
admirer of the President and a
supporter of his policies.
No one here ventures to fore
cast just how far the joint U. s.
Canadian efforts will 60. The
general belief is that it is a long
step toward much closer rela-
ton between this country and the
entire British Commonwealth OF
Nations. The speech of Ambassa-
dor Bullitt pointing out the I'M
portance to this country of giving
every possible support to Great
Britain is taken here as an ex-
preston by the Administration.
It is known that the speech was
read and approved by the State
Department before it was de-
livered.
Base Leases Progressing
The agreement for the leasing
of naval and air bases by this
country from Britain, while not
vet complete in detail, is making
rapid progress. There would be 18
such bases, all the way from
Newfoundland down to Trinidad
on the northeast corner of South
America, making a semi-circle OF
defenses which would effectively
guard all the approaches from the
Atlantic side Of the Panama Ca
nal.
The plan is to give the United
States control of such bases for
80 years. What the compensation
to Britain would be is not yet de-
cided; but a strong sentiment is
developing in Congress for the
cancellation of the British World
War Debt in payment for the
rights to be granted. The total
amount still unpaid of money lent
to the British Government by this
Government in the World War is
100000.
It's cancellation for an equit-
able quid pro quo would go a
long way, it is felt here, to put
the relations of the two nations
on warmly friendly footing. In
deed, there is beginning to be
considerable talk here of some
sort of permanent union of the
English speaking democracies,
for which a strong movement has
been started in this country and
which was tentatively suggested
by Prime Minister Winston
Churchill in a recent speech, and
is openly advocated by the for
mer British Minister of War, Mr..
More-Belisha.
Legality Unquesti0ned
There is no question of the le-
gality of his order permitting
"obsolete" American fighting
planes to be turned back to their
makers for resale to Britain, but
whether the same applies to ma
val craft is a close question. That
Britain is able to pay for the des-
troyers no one questions. British
cash resources were above Is
billion dollars at the beginning of
this war, and they are far from
being exhausted.
In domestic politics, observers
here generally agree that Mr..
Willkie is starting his campaign
with better and more widespread
support than any Republican can
didate since Mr.. Hoover first ran
for President in 1928. He has
what is known as good press. :"
The newspaper men who travel
with him and who meet him in
their home cities have taken a
strong liking to him.