Evening star., 1941-06-30
A Timely Warning

~ iIIiSiy VuIIihS
The report of the House Military
Affairs Committee-an outSpoker
and unequivocal criticism of the
management of the national defense
program-can be constructed only as
a calculated effort on the part OF
the committee members to awaken
the country to the grave danger in
volved in the mistakes already made
and to bring about their correction
while there still is time to turn over
a new leaf.
1t is extremely significant that the
criticisms made by the committee
are corroborated in a number of
respects by complaints emanating
independently from other sources.
Important among these are the inti-
nation that our military aircraft
production is 'in the doldrums" be-
cause of a shortage of essential
materials, a statement seemingly de-
signed to prepare the country for a
report of sharp drop in plane out
put during June; the disclosure of a
deplorable lack of modern equipment
for the troops engaged in the Ten
nessee maneuvers, and the assertion
by Lieutenant General Lear, COM
mander of the Second Army, that
the maneuverS have revealed an in
adequacy on the part of commanding
officers which, unless corrected, will
lead to disastrous embarrassments
and failures" in event of war.
In the sense that we still have
the opportunity to correct these
shortcomings, if we will but make
full use of it, there is cause for graf
ification in the fact that they have
been brought to public attention
now. But the deficiencies will not
be corrected unless the committee
report and the other complaints
are accepted in the spirit of
constructive criticism in which
they have been made. The COM
plainantS have stuck to the facts
and have resisted any temptation
to deal in petty personalities. 1t is
to be hoped that those responsible
for the failures will be no less OBJ
jective in their attitude, and that
they will devote themselves whole
heartedly to the remedial measures
so plainly indicated.
OF all the complaints made by the
committee, of outstanding impor-
tance at this time is the protest
against the failure to select some
one man to head up the defense pro-
gram, a director who would have
both the authority to implement the
program and the responsibility for
any failure to produce results. 1t is
undoubtedly true that in recent years
the Nation has been unduly pre-
occupied with social reforms while
neglecting its security, that there
has been lack of vision in falling
to impose appropriate restrictions on
non-defense industries which COM
pete with the defense program for
both men and materials, and that
the administration in some cases has
been inclined to temporize in dealing
with difficult problems as they arose.
But all of this is water over the dam.
The past mistakes, the lost oppor-
tunities, cannot be retrieved. Prac-
tically, they are important now only
to the extent that we profit or fail
to profit from them. Our hope lies
with the future, and it is in the
months ahead that the battle for
American security will be won or
lost.
This Nation has made real progress
since the not so distant day when we
were going to superimpose the de-
fense program on the normal in
dustrial establishment, without Sacri-
fee of social gains or any of the
luxuries of modern life. But there
and the time is running short. This,
in essence, is the message which the
House committee has sought to bring
to the attention of the people, and
it is to be commended for, drawing
the issue clearly and for submitting
courageous and specific suggestions
for corrective action.
There is no valid reason why this
countrys defense program should
not be conducted with the intelli-
gence and the efficiency which are
made so imperative by the gravity
of the danger which confronts the
Nation. And that quality of direction
will be forthcoming when the people
Of the country take to heart the
warnings, both express and implied,
which are contained in this timely
and fortnight report of the Com
mittee on Military Affairs.