Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-23
DIET R OFT
Eas+-Wes+. Nor+h-S South
Superhighways Urged


make, IL they were let out to
private Industries TO build. would 4,
be that inasmuch rs We wilt
have, for many years to come,
two to three millions of able
bodied men between the ages of
so and 65 years who will not
benefit by the social security
law to the extent that they will
be sufficiently pensioned when
they reach IS, IL should he
stipulated that all such men
should be taken care of first In
the building of such highways,
that Mt certain appropriate To-
cations along these highways
would he constructed cOmmu-
nifty settlements so we could
take these unemployed men
from the Industrial centers and
other centers to such locations
and give them a decent place In
which to live and a decent wage.
sHVHIS would be not only a
l. nation building program,
but II would be n citizen build
ing program. As long rs we
have hundreds OF thousands OF
able bodied men ioafing around
our street corners and In our
bowling alleys and pool rooms
and bar rooms and gambling
joints. just so long will we be
slowly hut surely building
citizenship that will eventually
be too fabby and weak to per-
petuate our form of govern
ment.
These men. II put to work
on such a constructive project
as building these highways,
would take on new life because
they would know they were
building something permanent
and worthwhile that would he
handed down 10 their children
and To their children's children.
They would feel sure that they
were contributing something
that would make their nation a.
better place In which to live.
THE two major things l have
briefly acknowledgements
ton of our commodities and the
absorption Of a big per cent Of
our unemployed for the next
quarter OF n century are COM
mendable. But perhaps the
most outstanding and the one
feature embodying the great
est saving In dollars over
period of. we will say, 25 years,
Is the use of these highways In
our scheme of national defense.
GIVE ALL agree that the
w type OF national defense
equipment that we need to-day
and will need in the futufe IL
not the same identical type Of
nationai-defense equipment that
we needed 10 or 25 or 80 years
ago.
II assume that everybody
favors some type of national de-
Tense for his nation. further
assume that everybody believes
with me that our first line Of
national defense Is made up Of
homes, our schools, and our
churches.
However, a. long as other ma
lions fly at the throsts of each
other. as we have witnessed for
the past space OF years, just 80
long must we provide adequate
defense to protect our shores and
possessions In case foreign foe
should choose To disturb our
people.
Just ~ our rubber-wheeled
units in our national defense
equipment replaced our horse
and mule units. ~ large mobile
units on rubber wheels and
other large and small units on
wings. should. and viii, take up
the aior load of defense In the
years Immediately ahead OF us.
II mean by this, that IL we had
these roads completed, we could
and would save millions OF dol
lars on national defense expendi-
lures each year. and at the same
time have greater strength, eff
cheney and flexibiIity In our
national defense equipment than
we have today"