The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-02-13
Economic . . ,
#hA9hA
Happenings That Affect the Dinner
Pals, Dividend Checks and Tax
Bills of Every Individual. National
and International Problems Insep-
arabic from Local Welfare.

Practically all of the men who have
Testified in favor of the President s
lease-lend bill have offered the opinion
that crisis in the war will occur
within the next three months-and
that it will probably take the form of
an all-out Nazi blow against England
beginning with air raids of unprece-
Idented intensity and winding up with
the long anticipated attempt at in
vasion. Secretary of the Navy Knox
for example, testified that, according
to his information, the German STRAIT
egists were now watching the long
range weather reports, and waiting
for time when an extended period
Iof good weather can be anticipated.
There are many good reasons for
believing that Germany will make her
great effort before many more moons
wax and wane. Primary reason is the
obvious one that Hitler has a far bet
ter chance of winning if he makes his
gamble before this country can send
materials abroad in significant
|amounts.
Second, Hitler, many think, must
move before Italy collapses entirely.
She has become drain on the Reich,
instead of an asset. Her reverses in
Africa have almost reached the comic
|opera stage.
Third, according to some experts,
English and American warplane pro-
duction is now catching up with Ger
many. But it will be a long time
before Britain can obtain enough ships
to equal the strength of the sky fleet
commanded by Marshal Goering. So it
lis logical for Germany to make her
bid for victory while she has de-
cisive edge in the skies.
Fourth, there are reports, which
cannot be sustained in the light of
the rigorous German censorship, to
the effect that morale inside Hitler's
Reich is slipping. Hitler promised
victory before 1910 ended, and now
seems farther from it than when the
war began. There have been no signal
German successes of late
Evidence of more material nature
is also available. For the most part,
the Luftwaffe has lately been bomb
ling industrial centers, and has done
less indiscriminate bombing of cities.
1t now seems to be trying to knock
out important British factories, rather
than to break the peoples morale
an endeavor which completely failed.
And air observers have seen frenzied
activity along the German occupied
coast of the Gepsinent, and in the
ports which Hitler must use as the
Starting points for invasion.
1t is obvious where the U. S. enters
this picture. If England is to be
really helped, there must be a tre-
mendous speed-up in our shipments of
war materials. And, despite claims
of Administration spokesmen to the
contrary, the feeling persists that it
will not be long before we are con-
|voying British shipping. Germany's
greatest damage to England has been
in sinking merchant ships and, equal
| ly serious from the British point of
view, destroying or disabling num-
bers of the conveying destroyers.
Hitler himself has said that any
American ship-merchant or naval
which is put to the service Of England
! in European waters will be sunk
There can be no question but what use
Of our navy for convoy purposes
would be an act of war, complete and
unmistakable Yet Germany has
shown no desire to formally break re-
lations with us. Hitler has taken a
great deal and done little in retail
alton. Fear Of the American navy is
considered by many experts to be the
answer to that. Furthermore, Hitler's
record shows that he never increases
Opposition if he can avoid it.
In the meantime, debate on the
lcase-lend bill swings into high gear
Few members Of the Congress are OPP
posed to all-out aid to England-th
Opposition to the current bill is prin-
cipally based on the belief that il
delegates dictatorial powers to the
Executive, and that England can be
helped to the limit without doing that
There is the real issue underlying the
fight.
Some progress is being made to.
ward rearmament-but we are still