The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1941-02-13
THROUGH
a z E [
E Y { S
.
BY
Hazel Brannon
Hazel Brannon

opposition forces in congress alto
gether,
No congressman today has come
out with the statement that we
not help England. The diff
ference between the advocates and
opponents of the bill is that its OPP
ponents know that we people in the
United States are, in the final ana
lysis, responsible for what happens
to US in America and If conditions
are such that we should be in real
danger of invasion or be called upon
to fight that we are going to need
something to fight with. These OPP
ponents of the lend-lease bill are
not opposing aid for England so
much as they are trying to provide
for America first rather than Eng
land. They want us to aid England
as much as is possible along with
building up our own defenses.
The administration and suppor-
ters of the bill in congress are adj
vocating giving away, leasing or
~loaning Britain anything and every
thing we have in the United States
to aid England. The administration
wrote this bin asking for complete
power in the matter Of pursuing
aid to England without any check
whatsoever. In asking Congress to
pass this measure Mr.. Roosevelt is
asking for complete d~ictatorial pow
ers in America. Hitler himself has
no more power than Mr.. Roosevelt
is asking for.
In our humble opinion the danger
for the people of the United States
in the passage of this bill is that
it makes US a complete partner in
the war but gives US no real au-
thority as to its direction and the
conditions of peace if and when
peace shall come. Mr.. Roosevelt
asks for authority to give away u
possessions and all our material aid
yet he has no guarantee of a policy
that would be agreeable to the in
terest of America when fighting
shall end.
In other words we are asked by
Mr.. Roosevelt and by England to
give un%stintingly and without asking
any questions.
If England could be relied upon
to pursue a completely honorable
policy, it might be a different %situa-
ton. But England cannot. We are
.ulls~ 1hnx.4 txax ~aDxit.ttx. \
of war debts altogether. 1t has
been our observation and it is a
matter of historical fact that Eng
land considers no interest but her
own. She is not looking out for any
nation or any people in the world
other than her own empire. That is
good business.
Opponents of the lend-lease bill
are looking out for the interest of
America and her people. They know
that we can gain nothing by pursu-
ing a European war, that we alone
are the masters of our destiny. We
alone are responsible for the sur
vival of free government and free
people in our own country. 1t is
too much to think we can police the
whole world and guarantee other
people freedom. We tried that once
and it lasted only twenty years.
Opponents of this measure see
England is already taking advantage
of President Roosevelt's instructed
generosity. At the beginning of the
wan England said she would be COM
pletely satisfied if we would just
sell her on a cash and carry basis
(the only basis possible because of
the Johnson and neutrality act) Eng
land listed at that time, about six
teen months ago, between five and
seven billions of dollars of securi-
ties she could use for the purchase
of war supplies.
Because Of Mr.. Roosevelt's out
spoken attitude to do all he car for
England hat country now says her
funds are exhausted and she wants
us to loan or lease ships, guns,
planes, etc. As a matter of cold
blooded fact no person has been
able to point out where England has
spent more than one billion dollars
during the first year of the war. Eng
land still has from five to six bill
lion she could still draw on if nee
essary. But the attitude of Mr..
Roosevelt and congress on all out
aid has led England to the point
where she can use the United States
and save her W resources. We
do not call that fair and honorable
dealing.
England calls on US for ships to
deliver the planes when she has not
even taken her own ships off the
trade lanes of the world. Why should
she when she can call upon America
to sacrifice for her?
Thus We would say the danger OF
aid to Britain lies in England her
self. The nor we give her the more
she demands. Mr.. Churchill has said
he does not foresee where he will