The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-03-06
Economic . . .
@AhA9hA
That Affect the Dinner
Pals, Dividend Checks and Tax
Bills of Every Individual. National
and international Problems Insep-
arabic from Local Welfare.

DiiS VI Livery iIulNiuudl. A>dtIoudi
and International Problems Insep-
arabic from Local Welfare.
What Associated Press staff writer
Richard L. Turner called "a new and,
to some, startling phase in the
argument for helping Great Britain"
recently appeared while the Senate
was debating the lease-lend bill. This
new phase was the admission that the
proposed policy involves the risk of
war.
The opponents of the lease-lend
measure have long used that as their
prime weapon. They have declared
that once the bill becomes law it will
be only matter of months before
we are active participants in the war
against the Axis. At the beginning,
however, the bills supporters general
|ly pooh-poohed that supposition. They
said that the measure could not carry
us any closer to war. Now their tone
has undergone significant change.
For example, Senator Barley, the
majority leader, recently said that
"the course we chart is not without
risk" Going long step farther, Sen
ator Pepper, one Of the most aggres-
|sive hackers of all-out aid to Britain,
said, 'If the action we propose will
not save England, we will save it any
way" Frankest Of all was Senator
Bailey, another leader Of Democratic
forces, who said: 81 am hoping that
intervention may not mean war, but
| am ready if intervention does mean
war;"
The President himself said that
there were hazards in any course that
this country might pursue in it's for
Ieign policy. 1t was obvious that the
possibility of war was in his mind
when, in answer to a question at
press conference, he said that even if
we were to engage in naval hostili-
ties with Japan, there would be no
letup in our sending supplies to Eng
land. The Administration stand is
that, risky as the lease-lend bill policy
may be, it contains the greatest as
surance for American security with
the least risk of war.
If we went to war, it is apparent
that, at the beginning, our participa-
ton would involve the navy and per-
haps the air force, not the army.
Britain could certainly use our fight
ling heet-the great British navy
which has sustained heavy losses, is
spread out dangerously thin. She
must command the North Sea, the
Mediterranean, and a considerable
part of the Far and Near East. She
must convoy the merchant ships that
bring her supplies from the New
World and Oteania. Her fighting
force in the Orient is inferior to
Japan's. Britain has plenty of men in
khaki today-she hasn't enough float
ling gun platforms.
In theory, if we should go to war
with Germany, Japan would at once
attack US. She might attempt to
seize the Philippines and the lesser
Pacific islands which fly the American
flag. And then what might prove one
of the greatest naval wars of all time
would begin.
There is still another possibility
here. Britain apparently fears that
Japan is about to embark on new
adventures Of her own-toward Indo-
China, the Netherlands possessions, or
even Singapore, key to the East.
Large numbers of the famed Austria
liam troops have been sent to the
Singapore garrison. Enough planes
have also been sent, it is reported to
Igive Britain superiority in the air in
that area-the Japanese air force is
not especially large, and the sons Of
Nippon aren't supposed to be much as
Ipilots. At the same time, Britain
would have a tough job on her hands
resisting a fuII-dress attack by the
Japanese fleet. Many observers think
that if Japan does make here move,
we will step in--that the buglers on
our warships will sound Battle Sta
tions, and it won't be for practice
Some think we might also help if
Japan went after the Crown colony of
| Hong gkong-a position which is vir-
tually indefcnsible from land, and can
only be protected by sea power.
1t should become clear before long
what Hitler's spring strategy will be
"A drive through the Balkans, an at
tempt at invasion of England, Jap
ancse push in the East, or, perhaps,
combination of all three In the
meantime, this country is not nearly
so far from war as the majority Of
its people, Judging by polls, hope.
News Of our own defense program
is confusing. The pessimists say that
Everything has begged down, and that
chaos rules. The optimists say all is
going well. The truth seems to lie
between. Industry is at last getting
Igeared to defense productiOn-a tre-