Evening star., 1941-01-02
EvuIuoting q Crisis

INuiudtiIiS ~ S''S'S
The Foreign Policy Associations
report on United States Aid to
Britain" released today, is a dis
passionate appraisal of the critical
situation confronting embattled Eng
land as the new year begins and OF
Americas far from all-out effort to
lend a helping hand. The assocla-
tion's factual summary of condl-
tions as it's research experts found
them is, in a sense, an indictment OF
the American people for failure to
comprehend in all its implications
the gravity of Britain'S plight and
the urgency of the need for full in
dustrial mobilization" if Britain is
to be saved-and if the ominouS
spread of totalitarian Wildflre is to
be halted. The association found
that while the American people are
overwhelmingly in sympathy with
the British cause and in favor OF
supporting that cause, neither the
seriousness of Britain's situation nor
the drastic steps necessary to amello-
rate it appear to be generally appre-
ciated"
There is abundant evidence that
this criticism of our defense prog
ress is justified. The evidence is to
be found in the statistics on tagging
warplane production, in the belated
presidential summons of industry to
speed up from a business as usual
to a full emergency production basis,
in the recent reorganization OF the
in the continued outcropping of
strikes at defense plants and in the
restrictions and red tape which still
surround our plans for fiscal and
material aid to the British people
and to other defenders of democ-
racy We permit these conditions
to prevail despite the fact that
Britain, our main bulwark against
westward aggression, faces crisis
within the next six months that, &C
cording to the Foreign Policy Asso-
citation observers, may decide the
outcome of the war and our fate for
years to come.
German planes and submarines, the
association points out, "are slowly but
surely undermining Britain's pro-
ductive power and hence, in the long
run, morale and fighting strength"
Only the United States is capable OF
rendering the immediate assistance
that Britain must have if the bal
ance Is to be swung in her favor, the
report stressed. To make such aid
effective, extraordinary measures
must be taken without further delay,
the association asserts. First,
larger proportion than the present
half share of war material produced
In our factories must be allotted to
Great Britain; second, industry must
vastly expand production of mill
tary supplies by giving priority to
planes and munitions over civilian
needs, by utilizing all available labor
and plants to the maximum degree,
and, in short, by going on full war
time production schedule; third, the
administration must proclaim and
furnish vigorous control over what
would amount to a war economy;
fourth, Congress must sweep away
all financial and other limitations
on aid to Britain, and, fifth, the sea
lanes to England must be kept open
"even if it we're necessary to assign
American vessels to convoy duty"
Wider use of the neutrality patrol
fleet also was suggested.
Some of these steps, notably the
convoy plan, would, the association
comments, involve certain risks OF
war. Yet, the report says, neither
the German nor American govern
ment has much to gain by formal
hostilities. The association might
we'll have added that Germany is not
in the habit of taking on new ad-
versary until the time suits her pur-
poses. This report of the Foreign
Policy Associations is a timely,
thought-provoking document that
should be read by every member of
the new Congress. 1t furnishes a
broad background of defense facts
against which to consider the
Presidents forthcoming message to
Congress on the state of the Union.