Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-01
War Cost for Week
Would Top Loss Of
Trade, Thomas Says
Socialist Leader Assoils
Invasion ToIk at
Anti-Wor Rally

Loss of this Nations entire normal
foreign trade would be less costly
than the toll OF manpoWer and
material wealth eXacted by wagine
one week of modern war. Norman
Thomas, Socialist leader last night
told delegates to the Anti-War
Congress here.
His address, broadcast over e
Nationwide radio network, was de-
livered before representatives of
more than half dozen peace or
carnations, who damned the Ma
tional Press Club auditorium.
Mr.. Thomas charged that the
,American people are not so lack
ing in ingenuity and resource that
any change in the mastery of Europe
will of itself cut us out from the
markets of the Eastern Hemisphere,
much less of South America.
The dangerous days which have
come upon us need not reduce our
economy to the mercy of any die
tators' will unless we ourselves are
iparalyZed by the maddening re-
iteration of the lie that our economic
destiny is IN any other hands than
gour own" he declared.
Invasion Talk Assailed.
Mr.. Thomas criticized talk of an
Invasion of the United States and
stated:
Still in the face of facts, it is
entirely possible that thousands,
yes millions of our sons may yet die
because our people have been per-
suaded to believe that historical
falsehood that if We do not fight
today at Dakar, Singapore and the
.lungles and deserts of Africa and
Asia, we can not tomorrow defend
our homes"
The speaker accused ''propogan-
dists of fear" of directing attention
to the possibilities of attack by way
of Brazil. They would have us
forget that Brazil is farther from
our own shores than Berlin" he
said. that the walking is poor, that
the Caribbean is an American lake
and that coffee beans alone can not
support invading armies
Mr.. Thomas commended that:
I'VE have permitted one man.
our President, under the leaSe-lend
law and innumerable emergency acts
whose limits no man fully under
stands. to have almost as absolute
power over the issue of war as the
Germans have given to Hitler him.
self
Inaction on Conveys Hailed.
But we can still speak out, as the
Germans can not and Mr.. Roose-
welt assuredly approaches the powers
that are his with sense of respon-
sibility which the totalitarian die
,tators lack 1t is some comfort that
even in proclaiming unlimited emer-
gency he did not authorize conveys
and refused to ask a change in the
neutrality laws"
Mr.. Thomas said he feared it was
too late" for peace organizations to
accomplish their aims when he
heard the Presidents address last
week But after his press confer
ence." he continued referring TO
Mr.. Roosevelt's conference at which
he explained certain points made
in his address Il knew we were right
where We started, plus one more
speech"
Another speaker at the mass
meeting, Helen Alfred of the Ma
tional Public Housing Conference,
declared that peace groups already
have proven a mighty influence in
slowing down the course as charted
by the administra tion-a course
that would have led to an earlier,
and probably an open declaration
of war"
She advocated the preparation of
peace mandate signed by United
States workers for presentation to
the President.
War on Poverty Cited.
J. R. Butler. president of the
Southern Tenant Farmers Union,
said a war would finish the job
on Southern sharecroppers. I'VE
have war of our own here at home
against poverty. disease and Starva-
ton" he declared. This war is
more important to future genera
tons than a war to keep our for
eign trade. Better economic condi-
tons in the South and those people
could buy their own cotton-and
God knows they need it."
James G. Vail. foreign service
secretary of the American Friends
Service Committee. told the dele
gates that Americans could learn
lessons in what the United States
really offers its citizens" from the
testimony of refugees flocking here
from war-stricken Europe. One OF
the things that strangers within our
gates can help us achieve" he said
lis a new devotion, new loyalty
and a new sense of responsibility to-
ward the democracy to which we
have so readily given lip service
without adequate understanding.
The conference sponsored by the
Keep America Out of War Congress
will close today. Round-table ses-
sions, at which resolutions formu-
lated at meetings yesterday will be
adopted, will begin at the Press
Club auditorium at 10 o'clock this
morning. A memorial service will
be held at the Sylvan Theater at
o'clock this afternoon.