Evening star., 1941-10-12
What Aid Can i. S. Cive Russia ?
Washington Bottenecks Indicate Supplies Will Be Little and Late

| w not long ago Jul llCu iiio pe'Nh oii
the might Of the British Isles and hurled
his major forces into campaign to
| DESTROY the worlds second military
power. that of the Union OF Soviet So
cialist Republics With equal scorn, by
+ the same token. the Fuehrer turned his
| back on the manufacturing arsenal of
the United States, which President
Roosevelt celebrated recently as the
greatest end most efficient industrial
system in history"
Presumably the Reich high command
did not morch against the East without
assuring itself there would be ample
/ time in which to crush the proletarlan
| dictatorship before American aid to
Britain could expose the German Army
to continental invasion and two-front
war; and that output of Anglo-American
supplies and shipping must prove too
| little and too late to repair RuSSlas
losses of equipment and plant. In the
meantime, counting on laggard Ameri-
can production of bombardment planes,
Hitler no doubt concluded that from
strategic standpoint he could despise as
pinpricks whatever sallies the Royal Air
Force might wage over Germany and
occupied Europe.
Convinced that furious Soviet resist
ance offers windfall of epochal pro-
portions, if only it can be exploited with
speed and vigor on large scale, Mr.
Roosevelt has consecrated the resources
of the United States to making available
supplies urgently needed by Russia, The
American member of the Tri-Power
Conference at Moscow w. Averell Har-
riman. Joined Lord Beaverbrook in
promising to place at Russia's disposal
practically every requirement for which
the Soviet military and civil authorities
have asked German spokesman de-
rided these pledges as theoretical con-
ISOLATION" In his recent radio address,
Hitler screamed sardonic jeers at ap-
preparations running into billions"
Perhaps Another Battle of Marine.
| On the soundneSs of the Fuehrer'S
contemptuous estimate of American
energy and resources may well depend
the shape of human society for genera
tions to come With the natural wealth
and population OF Russia at its COM
mand as well as those Of the continent.
the New Order could defy British and
American sea power and eventually out
build it. BY attacking the SovietS, how
ever. Hitler tipped into the scales against
himself an enemy of fanatical courage,
with man power greater than his own
and huge equipment for mechanical
war, but with inferior industrial capac-
ity. 1t is generally agreed that the in
vasion of Russia may become his battle
of the Marne-but solely on condition
that American factories and shpyards
can maintain the Red Army in being as
a fighting engine of the first class.
In contrast to German policy, which
has consistently attempted one limited
and practicable objective at time. the
American Government, prior to the Rus
sian war, had embraced no less grandi-
ose a program than that of serving as
machine shop for oppressed peoples
/ throughout the globe. 1t had under
/ taken to arm its own continental and
overseas territories, defend the Western
! Hemisphere, pin down Japan against
conquest in Singapore and the Dutch
East Indies, supply China and help equip
/ the British both in their home islands
and in Africa and the Near East. Lately
the Navy has added a shoot first" patrol
( of the Atlantic, from the Eastern sea-
board to Iceland, against Nazi sub
marines and dive bombers.
! Upon these far-flung commitments
have now been imposed sweeping pledges
| to Russia. According to semiofficial
estimates, the Soviets require at once
81 900 100000 worth of bombers, tanks,
/ ammunition, anti-aircraft guns and
aviation gasoline. Their eventual needs,
| according to the same informants, will
aggregate $4,000 900 900.
What Are the Probabilities?
The chances of fulfilling such ex-
| pectations under pressing time table
may be calculate from survey of cur
rent progress in the national rearma-
ment program. An appraisal is offered
herewith. AS previously has been the
case, it can be little more than tentative,
| partly because of censorship and partly
in defense bookkeeping. The following
are ventured as high lights of the sit
uation:
Including foreign orders of S3,674 000,-
900 and supplementary lend-lease ap-
preparation of $685., 100000, the total
defense program, based chiefly on con-
gressional appropriations and contract
authorizations, will soon stand in the
neighborhood of $66, 1875 900 900. Of this
perhaps $4,000, 100000 has been obli-
gated by contract The Treasury De-
partment's report OF defense disburse-
ments since July l. 1910, is $9,878 975 1929.
For its own protection and aid against
aggression all over the earth, this coun-
try will expend during the calendar year
1941 approximately s12,624 ,O0O,0 900 or 13
per cent of its estimated national in
come of $50 0O0, 900 900. Canada and the
United Kingdom are devoting 40 per
cent of national income to war. The
figure in Germany is so per cent. For
its worldwide crusade, the arsenal of
the democracies has thus far modified
10 per cent of its output of non-durable
commodities, 20 per cent of its factory
and mining production and 80 per cent
of its output of durable goods.
Small Arms Flowing Now.
Last May the country was assured that
full-scale defense production was on the
verge of coming into operation. BY
| Sentember or October at the latest il