Evening star., 1941-04-29

The cabinet official declared that
much more" money will be appro-
prlated for national defense within
the next four years, and pointed out
that the cost of maintaining the
Army and Navy will mount as the
organizations are expanded.
We are just now beginning tc
have some idea" he said, "of what
all this is going to cost-but only a
rough idea, because it will cost more
than We now think"
Before making his address SeCre-
tary Jones congratulated the South
ern operators on settlement of the
soft coal strike. Explaining that he
saw a number of these operators in
the audience and that he had dis
cussed with them 'the coal tie-up,' y
Secretary Jones explained that the
operators had agreed to follow the
Presidents recommendation and
Furthermore voluntarily agreed to
raise the wages of miners a dollar a
day"
Discussing the tax program, he
said. amplfying his prepared ad-
dress:
We can't take it all out as you
go. If we do We'll break up the
game, and some of you gentlemen
know what I mean when say that. "
Mr.. Jones drew applause when he
i11dicated he did not favor Govern
ment operation of private enterprise
eYPpnt urhprp 11nPecca,-I
Referring to the recent Allis-
Chalmers strike, he said it had
seemed almost necessary" for the
Government to take over. That
strike, he added got on our
nerves, on your nerves, on all our
nerves"
Business Control Rejected.
But the President knows. you
know and all of us know that the
worst thing for our country is for
the Government to take over and
operate private business" This drew
applause.
Secretary Jones took up the queS-
tlon of what would happen to the
plants being erected for production
of emergency defense materials. He
explained that it was the view of the
President and his family advisers
that one of three things probably
would take place after the emerg-
ency.
Either these plants will be dis
b1antled. sold to the particular in
duStrY, or locked up for an emerg-
ency."
This program, he said, was
great improvement over what hap
pened after the first World War
when plants had to be destroyed"
for the operators to obtain necessary
tax benefits for them. Now, he
recalled, the entire cost of such
plants can be amortized in five years.
At another point in his address,
the Texan cited an estimate that
"one-fourth of the normal man
power working hours will be required
10 produce and manufacture things
necessary to the defense program.
Alternate Courses
That means" he said. that one
1lpul OuG VI CNCI1 lOul lIluoL DC
taken from the production and
manufacture of things we use in
our normal everyday life. That
means that we will either have to
get along with fewer of the things
to which We are accustomed and
which we take for granted, or we
must superimpose on our normal
economy a 25 per cent increase in
our productive capacity-25 per cent
more work hours.
The latter will be costly, will in
volve serious fiscal problems and
should be avoided If possible
Calling for support of the aid-to-
Britain program, Mr.. Jones said:s
we have chosen our course and
should not waste too much time
over road maps.
"We do not want to get in the
war now, a year hence or 10 years
hence. And it has been decided by
our duly elected representatives, the
President and the Congress, that the
best way to insure against our get
ting in is to give all possible aid to
those countries which are fighting
10 preserve their independence and
our way of life
"Life-and-Death Struggle"
Saying he questioned the judg-
f1ent of "thoSe few Americans who
are out of step with our defense
program" Mr.. Jones remarked that
If he believed the conflict overseas
was "just another" European war,
"I. too, would favor going about our
business and letting them shoot it
out"
However. he said he was con-
Vinced the war was "a life-and-
death struggle between two power
full world forces with totally differ
ent concepts of life and govern
ment.'
In his prepared address, Admiral
Stark said that the Navy lis an in
strument for the support of our
national policies
Importance of Foreign Trade.
There is no need that I stress, to
Fou men of business here assembled,
the Importance of foreign trade in
our domestic economy or the part
1t plays in our international rela-
tons
TT is a responsibility of the Navy
nnder our Government and our
laws and as our interests dictates" "
said the admiral, that your ships
roll down to Rio and back where no
enemy molesting them but winter
and rough weather.
That your tankers bring Texas
gasoline up to serve New Jersey
filling stations undisturbed.
That your freighters put out and
return from Sidney and Singapore,
from Batavia and Manila and Hong
Kong with unbroached cargoes, and
finally that American nationals pro-
ceed on their legitimate affairs to
the ends of the earth and back, no
man making them afraid"
This declaration of the Chief Of
Naval Operations recalled a recent
prenouncement of President Roose-
welt to the effect that American
forces would proceed as far into the
waters of the Southern seas as is
y@rot antinro nf tho