Evening star., 1941-01-25
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

Urging passage of the lease-lend
bill on the ground that it will
enable us "to buy time to prepare, "
William c. Bullitt, former Ambas-
sador to France, today questioned
Col. Charles A. Lindbergh'S quail
fications as an expert on whether
the United States can or will be
invaded.
Mr.. Bullitt told the House Foreign
Affairs Committee that invasion of
the Western Hemisphere would be
almost certain" if the British Navy
were destroyed and a ''totalitarian"
power gained control of either the
Atlantic or the Pacific before our
two-ocean feet is ready. He re-
minded the committee that the two
ocean navy is not due until 1916.
He declared in 28-point statement
given to the committee:
1--WE must buy the time in which
to prepare. We can buy that time
only by making certain that the
British fleet will continue to hold
the totalitarian forces in Europe
while our fleet watches in the
Pacific"
Mass Attack Not Question.
Representative Fish, Republican,
Of New York reminded Mr.. Bullitt
that Col. Lindbergh had testified
the United States is in no invasion
danger.
do you pose as an expert on avi-
atom" asked Mr.. Fish.
"Not in the slightest" the witness
answered.
"Col. Lindbergh sees no danger"
Mr.. Fish continued, and asked Mr..
Bullitt if he regarded the colonel as
an expert.
HE is a great expert on the in
side or the outside of an airplane. I
would take his judgment on the
blueprint or the performance OF
plane. I do not know that Col.
Lindbergh has devoted the same
study to the international, political
and economic condition of the
world" Mr. Bullitt replied.
Col. Lindbergh, he said, seemed to
base his views about invasion on
mass air attack across the ocean,
"but that is exactly what we are
not talking about" The danger of
invasion, Mr.. Bullitt explained,
arises from the possibility of estab-
fishing bases for attack in other
parts of this hemisphere, to the
south.
Two-Ocean Navy Not Ready.
Mr.. Fish sought to meet this argu-
ment by suggesting that "if we had
the air bases Col Lindbergh recon-
mended in South America" that
danger would be avoided.
Mr.. Bullitt replied there are two
questions to be considered in that
connection-first, whether the United
States is going to get these bases
and, second, whether it could con-
troll them if the South American
countries in which they were 10
Gated passed under totalitarian
domination. He indicated the an
swer to the second question was
that they could not be controlled
However, Mr.. Bullitt said that mo
matter how much aid we furnish to
Great Britain and no matter what
form that aid may take, the die
tators will hesitate to declare war
on us unless they have first con-
ouered Great Britain"
The witness agreed with Mr.. Fish
that the United States has fine
Navy, and explained that he does
not doubt its ability to protect this
country on the Atlantic side. He
reminded Mr.. Fish, however, that
If the Navy was in the Atlantic
there would be no protection against
the axis powers from the Pacific
until the two-ocean Navy is COM
pleted.
Compares U. S. to France.
Mr.. Bullitt drew applause from the
audience when he compared the
state of mind in this country today
with that which prevailed in France
one year before it collapsed.
The people of France, he said,
placed the same faith in the Maginot
Line that some Americans now place
In the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The French people, he said, were so
sure their line could never be pierced
that they never achieved the urgency
In defense production that was
necessary.
This country, he declared, should
(See BRITISH AID, Page A-4D