Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-24
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
FRANKLIN d. ROOSEVELT

is the President of the
United States, elected by the
people in the regular way, and
there is no legal cloud on his
title 10 his office.
He has been elected three
times and, notwithstanding
complete discussion Of his faults
and failures. those who opposed
him twice were unable to UNI
cover a man who could beat him
a. the polls
The American people knew
thoroughly well what sort OF
man he was and, knowing This,
elected him in time of war,
when they knew he had de-
clared this nations sympathy
for Adolf -ffftfcris- enemies and
victims and had committed the
country TO program OF as
Sistance which even a rational
ruler of a warning country
-wotfd have regarded as hostility.
60. OBVIOUSLY. the people
~ Of the United States are
stuck with President Roosevelt
and with the Congress which
also was elected by popular
vote.
If the armament gram
fails through political opposi-
ton. inefficiencv lack Of ma
terials. greed of industrial men
or interference by labor leaders.
that will be disaster as bad
for the whole American people
as for the President himself
do not believe that those who
oppose the Presidents war pol
icy should be forbidden TO ex-
press their opposition, but |
maintain that If tn y should
succeed in defeating his program
the disaster TO the United States
will be certain and terrible,
whereas a united people, sup
porting the government which
they knowingly elected raisshi
avert the disaster.
I INSIST also that those who
i say Hitler has no designs
against the United States DELHI
erately shut their eyes to Hit
ler's record and his declared
determination 10 exterminate
the American form of govern
ment.
He has used the same rcassur-
ing and disarming formula time
after time. and there, as here
he, has been assisted by political
opponents OF the rulers who
aggravated distrust among the
people, disarranged their efforts
and cried "war-monger" at lead
ers who were only trying 10
defend their countries against
the unprovoked fcrocity Of the
greatest war machine in the his
tory of the world.
As TO what sort Of nation this
would be even in the event or
victory l have a rather somber
picture.
/ think that If Hitler defeats
Brita m, then Britain. like
France. will trot out of their
present seclusion those British
Quisllngs and Lavals who would
be willing TO bow in "collabora-
ton" and turn against the
United States.
This suggests very interesting
possibilities in Canada, right on
top Of us, and in the Caribbean,
aggravated by rose I m e n I
against us for failing" TO see
them through.
Such resentment Is now being
whipped up among the French
people. although one of the rea-
sons for their disaster was the
most humiliating one Of all 10
Frenchmen, namely. that many
of their soldiers ran away.
GO I believe that il Hitler beats
- Britain the United States
will, at very best. go into a spin
and come out OF il with an out
right Fascist or Nazi form OF
government. which Is the same
thing as the communism OF Rus
STA, with trivial variations.
II were better not to forget
the revision" OF national boun-
diaries, the resolutions" and
repatriation" that Hitler has
devised in Europe and think Of
SPANS historic" claim TO Flor
ida and the historic" claim OF
Nazified France 10 the vast ter
ritory of the Louisiana Pur-
chase.
A Nazified Mexico would bite
big gouge out of the south
western United States. and
Nazified Britain could put in an
equally valid claim for the area
of the rebellious colonies.
Already, in Nazified Russia. II
has been set forth that this
country obtained Alaska by a
fraudulent transaction. with
car who had no right to sell the
territory.
Victorious, / believe the United
States. nevertheless. would 60
SociaJistic. but whether under
the present form of government
or some other it is idle to specu-
late.