The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-07

Foreign Relations Committee. Tn fact, American air power is a myth. The neglect to provide that vital arm for Americas national defense system is nothing short of crim- inal"
 He said the administration was seeking a plank check on the Amer ican way of life and charged 1t with tendencies that would involve the United States in war abroad.
 Talking peace at home and shouting war abroad and meddling in the internal affairs not only of Europe but also of Asia, I doubt very seriously if the United States has no single worthwhile friend among the major nations of the world" he said.
 Williams charged that the admin istration was guilty of persistent promotion of 7steria" concern ing the threat of invasion. He con tended that talk of air, naval or land invasion of the United States was "pure nonsense" and "incredl- ble fantasy"
 Why He Opposes Bill
 He opposed the pending British aid bill, he said, because it mega tives all chances" of developing American air power, which he be- lieves is weakening day by day, and because it means creation ot a virtual dictatorship, benevolent or otherwise"
 "A blank mandate or check on American liberties, American blood, or American destiny is not the solu- tion," he said.
 Anticipating a question on his at- titude toward aid to Britain, he said in his prepared statement:
 My answer is - when and when only, the United States is possessed of adequate air power, to protect the United States and all that it stands for, am I in favor of giving one wing or one propeller to an- other nation"
 He said the American people had been subjected periodically to a series of horror stories concern- ing some sort of overnight invasion. He charted that it was a fear com- pleX constantly held over the heads of Americans to serve as lever for "prying off and stripping America or OUT air power"
 Is Pure Nonsense
 T want to go on record as saying fatly and unequivocally that this is pure nonesense-a physical and mechanical impossibility now and for q considerable stretch of years" he said.
 Likewise a naval invasion of the United States accompanied, as any such naval invasion must be, with land force invasion, by any combin- ation of the Axis powers, is an in- credible fantasy unsupported to date by any qualified military or naval opinio of standing"
 He said he could not conceive 'in the light of reason" of the Germans even contemplating the use of sea power against us-a type of war machinery that ''has failed in com- bat and is failing on blockade for the British against them"
 The United States is as free from invasion by Japan as the Japanese are free from invasion by this coun- try, he said.
 Only imperialists amongst us dream of exerting American naval or military dominance in the Far East" he said. We should quash these wild dreams = withdraw our armed forces from the Far East - silence these admirals who chant the inevitability of war and recog- nize that there are zones of military and naval influence beyond our control.'
 Two Reasons Against Bill
 He gave two reasons for opposing the British-aid bill: It would fur ther strip us of existing aircraft and divert future production" and it would be deadly potential threat to American lbrty, to the American way of life, and to our representa- tive form of government"
 He said the bill would allow the president to make commitments first and offer the bills to congress for payment-a method that means the end of America as represen- tative democracy, in short, as re- public"
 He favored laid to the poor, to the unfortunate, to the oppressed"
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