Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-01-02
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON


thinks" and then tear his self
constructed straw man to pieces.
That is being done daily in
the current debate on foreign
policy.
Those opposing our rapid APP
proach to a virtual war al
lance with Great Britain are
said to think" that no COM
bination of powers will ever
attack us and, no matter who
wins, we can do business with
them, so why risk offending
Hitler and provoking him 10
fight US.
What duck soup that is TO
argue down.
Maybe somebody thinks
such nonsense as a basis for
advocating independent an d
about American defense first,
and never subjecting ourselves
to a prior obligation of for
eign alliance, or undertaking to
dilute our defensive strength by
spreading across the world our
obligation to protect the forcibly
seized and forcibly held sub
ject states of any foreign en-
pire. Maybe-but who?
THESE truths are self evil
L dent: That it is TO our great
interest TO see Britain win: that
the hateful destruction of Eng
land embitters every American
heart; that force rather than
honor and goodwill now rules
the world: that we are in great
danger and that our only course
is swift preparation for in
vincible defense; that we are
not so defended now and that
I'll G preparation is tagging
shamefully.
ANY advocate of what is rush
ing us to a war alliance who
denies the sincerity of these
opinions of others as a basis
for his argument, is becloudinG
the real isSue-the dreadful
question of peace or wan for
America.
There can be only one qucs-
ton in the troubled heart Of
every true American-what is
il best for us to do TO safe
guard the present and the
( future of our own country? Is
it best to engage now in a two
ocean war with one-ocean
navy?
Is it best for us to send. or
threaten TO send, our armed
forces to seize the Azores. the
Irish harbors, the tip of West
Africa and Singapore-to plunge
into warhke operations all the
way from the Straits Of Dover
to the Straits of Malacca and,
conceivably even farther 49,
through the Mediterranean and
Ped seas TO Greece, Egypt. the
Dardanelles, Calcutta and CO.
lombo?
SHORT of this. is il best 10
~ take the intermediate steT
leading straight and inevitably
! TO this course by putting oui
overseas shipments into Ameri.
can bottoms and. with a convoy
of. cruisers, attempt to buck the
line of a legitimate blockade ?
Is it best now to undertake
to finance another nation in a
new world war, when we are
already staggering undar a
mount infamous burden Of
debt and confronting near
necessity of doubling it as a
necessity in our own defense ?
Is il best to do these things
especially when we are in no
wise yet prepared to defend
ourselves should any or all of
these mad CANDLES prove to be
tragic blunders?
Or is it best now TO spend
every ounce of our effort and
resources on preparation of an
invincible American defense on,
under and over the land and
sea. and to keep that force SC
we'll concentrated in such an
area of the earth's surface that
we can be reasonably assured
that no power on earth can de-
Stroy it?
THESE are real and basic
Il issues and not at all the ill
considered or emotional con-
scious or deliberate observation
of theA by attacking the
patriotic integrity or plain
sanity of the people who raise
them.
Furthermore. 'et this be
faced: If our defense is so
wholly dependent on Great
Britain as we are now told
if she is now fighting our de-
cisive battle which, if lost,
loses our freedom-then the
course advocated by those who
say we should contribute I'M
limited material resources, but
no blood, without regard to any
of the considerations raised
here-if these things we are
told are true-then that advo-
Gated course is the most futile
and pusillanimous ever followed