Evening star., 1941-11-20
New A. {. F. Opposed
By Hoover, Who Hits
War Propaganda
Ex-President Denounces
Conditioning U. S. Mind
For Sending Troops

By the Associated Press,
CHICAGO. Nov. 20.-Former Pres
ident Hoover last night opposed
sending American troops to Europe,
contending it would not only be
futile waste of American life" but
also would endanger economic free
dom in the United States itself.
His address before the Union
League Club was broadcast over
the Columbia System.
At the same time the former Chief
Executive called a halt to what he
said was an attempt to condition
American minds artiflcially for war,
asserting that propaganda agencies
already were volclng a "prelim-
mary demand" for the sending of
American land forces into the Euro
pean maelstrom.
Fear Propaganda Hit.
Describing the European war as
military stalemate." Mr. Hoover
said the primary question before the
American people was what effect
an American eXpeditionary force
would have on the outcome.
I'VE can" he said. dismiss at
once the bogie that Hitler can in
wade the Western Hemisphere
against the modern development of
the airplane and Cur Navy either
now or 10 years hence. That idea is
just propaganda to create fear in
the United States y.
But could the United States break
this military stalemate in Europe by
adding our military power to that
of the British? We can now observe
that Russia could not overcome the
German Army. even with her 10000
900 men, 10000 tanks, 10000 planes,
fighting on her own soil behind her
own fortihcations with her trans
portation wholly over land and on
inside lines.
Sending an army from America
to the continent of Europe itself
today would not be like that Of the
first World War. Then we trans
ported our men safely to France in
installments over year. This time
we would have to land overpowerlhg
forces all at once.
For us to do that we would need
prepare 100000 to 100000 Ameri-
can boys in addition to the British.
1t would take us more than
five years to build the shipping to
transport them. No military expert
believes we could land such an
army in Europe even if we got
overseas.
War Called "Stalemate."
THE British today have block
ade of Germany as effective as it
can be made. The addition of the
American Navy does not overcome
Hitler by seapoWer. The increase
of our supply of airplanes to the
British helps defend England. But
the bombing of industrial Germany
is not likely to be a decisive factor
in this war. From the land,
the sea and the air there is every
indication that the war in Europe
is military stalemate. And every
practical reason of this situation
points to the futile waste of Amer
lean life by sending armies over
seas. -
And what becomes of American
freedom while we are fighting a long
war overseas? Even today our
country is justly alarmed that free- |
do mis- slipping in America. Truly !
under intolerance we are slipping in
the freedom of expression. Certainly |
we are slipping in the freedom from
fear. Unquestionably with dislo-
cations of employment and rising
costs of living we are slipping from
freedom from want. The American |
system is built not on four free |
doms but five.
And absolutely We are slipping .
from the fifth freedom-that is, the /
freedom of men to choose their /
own jobs, the freedom to save for
ones children and old age, the .
freedom of enterprise. 8.
Duplicate of Naziism Seen.
Inevitably, America could carry
such an economic burden of man
power and industry as required by |
expeditionary forces only by re-
pressions which duplicate the re-
pressions of Naziism itself"
Mr.. Hoover added that "The
great majority of Americans are
to sending our armies to
Africa or Europe" that many people
are suspicious they do not get the
truth and that Congress should
expose an attempt "at artificial con-
ditioning of American mind for
war"
He said that the preliminary
demand for overseas forces lis
likely to be for an expeditionarv
force to Persia or Egypt" and
added:
ALREADY the propaganda agencies
are blurting it out. Already press
from abroad indicate it.
Already officials are making the
same sort of statements that ante