The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1941-01-02
THROUGH
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BY
Hazel Brannon
Gadsden, Alabama,
noca~bn- % toxn

Wnen PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ID. ROoso-
welt spoke to the nation and the
world Sunday night he did not sound
hike the spokesman Of a people who
are at peace and want to stay that
way.
MI. Roosevelt set the course Of this
nation in the direct channel Of more
and nor aid to Britain and literally
defied the Axis powers to do any
thing about II.
The President made the direct
statement that our present efforts
at helping Britain are not enough,
that I'VE must discard our notion of
business as usual" and devote all Of
the industrial and manpower of the
nation toward building "more ships,
more guns, more planes-more Of
everything"
Thus he clearly states that his IN
tention is to have America forget
about everything on her domestic
front until she has helped Britain
win the var He also seems to en-
vision a long and drawn out war
with no efforts made toward peace:
1T can be asserted properly and
categorically that the United States
has no right or reason to encourage
talk of peace, until the day shall
come when there is a clear inten-
ton on the part of the aggresscr
nation to abandon all thought of
dominating or %conquering the world
The head of the American govern
ment apparently has no misgivings
about the course he expects to have
this country pursue. 81 am con-
fident," he says, chat if and when
production Of consumer or luxury
goods in certain industries requires
the use Of machines and raw mater
ials essential for defense purposes,
then such production must yield to
our primary and compelling purpose.
! appeal to the owners Of plants-to
the managers-to the workers-to
our own government employees
to put every ounce of effort into
producing these munitions swiftly
and without stint"
Mr.. Roosevelt expects American
industry. labor and people to produce
quickly and without reserve NUM-
tons which he and his defense ex-
perts alone will determine how best
to use: "As planes and ships and
guns and shells are produced, your
goysSpnsHt I'll = asf y experts
them to defend this hemisphere. The
decision as to how much shall be
sent abroad and how much shall re-
main at home must be made on the
basis of our overall military nee
e~ssities.
I'VE be the great arsenal
of democracy. For VI this is an en-
Urgency as serious As wal itself. We
must apply ourselves 4 our task with
tho same resolution, the same sense
of urgency, the same spirit of patrio-
tism and sacrifice ~ we would show
were we at war.
I'VE have furnished the British
great material support and we win
furnish far more in the future"
How ear Mr.. Roosevelt reasonably
expect to keep this country at peace
broadeasting to the world such state
ments as contained in the foregoing
two paragraphs? His speech con-
s~titutes as much a declaration of war
against Germany as is eve made
in modern times,
With the president of a great
country like the United States max
ing such declaration could it be pos
sible that the Axis powers would be
simple enough to continue to regard
us as acknowledgements? We do not
see how they can continue to regard
US as acknowledgement when our Pre-
sident sounded like we are ready and
willing to get into the fight.
We will not send troops to aid
in the fight Mr.. Roosevelt has de-
cided. There is no demand for send
ing an expeditionary force outside
our own borders. There is no inten-
ton by any member of your Govern
ment to send such a force. You can,
therefore nail any talk about send
ing armies to Europe as deliberate
untruth.
Our national policy is not direct
ed toward war. Its sole purpose is
TO keep war away from our country
and u people"
We should think there is no nee
essity for our sending troops to Bri-
tain. They have more men now than
they know what to do with. What we
can furnish them in the way of
munitions and supplies are a great
deal more important than mere man
power.
The great danger in such declara-
tion by Mr.. Roosevelt is that it makes
us a hundred percent partner OF
Great Britain in her war efforts.
There is no s~ide-tracking or back
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