Evening star., 1941-02-11

fContinued From Page A-e)

pretext against us as effective aid
But If our aid Is ineffective Britain
may go down.
Britain's Requirements.
The requirements Of Britain are
fairly obvious and generally known.
They divide themselves into two
ategories-immediate requirements
ano long-term requirements.
The long term requirements, such
as airplanes, munitions and ships
are now very largely in course OF
construction in this country. We
are building them as fast as we
can. But it will be many, many
months before our efforts begin to
show significant results. Our air
craft program, for instance, will
provide a little help in 194l, but it
will not begin to give Britain su-
premacy in the air until 1912.
The hope is that with the fulfill
ment of those long-term require
ments Britain will attain a COM
plete supremacy over Germany. But
Britain may not hold out long
enough to make use of those future
materials and weapons unless GER
tain immediate requirements are
fulfilled. And these immediate re-
uuirements have the most direct
bearing on the present bill, H. r.
l776
Britain's greatest hazard is not
the bombing of her cities. l recently
visited many of the northern indus
trial towns. The destruction that
I saw was piteous and heart rend-
ing. but it was not primarily a de-
struction of productive facilities.
The damage TO Britain's industries
has so far been relatively small
Britains greatest hazard is. rath-
er. the destruction of shipping.
Britain now breathes chiefly through
her northern ports. II is essential
not only that these be kept open,
but that they be kept supplied with
enough shipping TO meet the needs
of the people and the heavy re-
ouirements of the military procure
ment program. Yet since May. 1910,
Britain lost an average of nearly
$4,000 tons Of shipping per week
almost three times her present rate
of construction.
Credits Don't Fill the Bill.
Now there have been suggestions
before this committee TO the effect
that the way 10 aid Britain is SIM
ply to appropriate certain number
of billions of dollars and to turn
these over to her credit. so that
she may procure whatever she
needs A number OF advantages have
been urged for this method of pro-
cedure. and many of these argu-
ments have great merit.
Nevertheless, I do not feel that
the granting of credits can provide
the effective immediate aid that
refer to- The problem is rather the
immediate disposition of certain
equipment Much of this equipment
cannot be purchased at any price,
because the owner is the United
States Government. 1t would also
seem that under the domestic laws
at present in force, the United
States is unable TO deliver such
equipment to belligerent without
cumbersome and lengthy subterfuge.
For instance, take the case of de-
stroyers. Recently we disposed OF
so of our "obsoleScent' destroyers
by trading them to Britain for bases
In this hemisphere. Britain des-
perately needed those destroyerS,
and a great majority of our people
felt that she should have them. Yet
there is grave question in the
minds of many lawyers concerning
the Interpretation Of domestic law
in that instance Many feel that
the spirit. if not the letter, OF the law
was violated
Needs 5 to 10 Destroyers Monthly.
Britain needs still more destroyers.
Merchant ships are making the
crossing without nearly enough pro-
lection; in some cases 30 or 40 ships
may be protected" by only a couple
of destroyers.
If we are TO aid Britain effec-
lively, we should provide her with
from 5 to 10 destroyers a month.
VIC SllOulu OC dUlC " uO GlllS III
rectly and swiftly rather than
through the rigamarole Of dubious
legaIStic interpretations.
incidentally, if we are to make
more destroyers available to Britain
We should recondition them in this
country in our own yards. The so
deStroyers that We delivered TO the
British some months ago have
proved extremely valuable But
owing to congestion and the short
age Of mechanics, Britain found 1t
difficult to recondition all of them
at once
At the same time. of course, we
| ourselves must press on with our
destroyer program so as to replace
as quickly as possible the destroyers
that We lend or lease to Britain. /
understand that in 1912 We should
expect a steady flow of from Is to
/ 20 new destrovers per month.
Patrol BOmbers Needed.
Destroyers are one example OF the
kind of thing which Britain needs
but which would be difficult or i'm
possible to obtain through the mere
granting of credit Another example
is the long-range bomber, and par