Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-06
Is Hopkins or Knox TO Be
Believed in Crisis?
BY HUGH s. JOHNSON

since man began 10 flght Tor
freedom on this continent and
minated that only by miracle
of shipbuilding. could we-much
less England-be saved.
1t is getting TO be highly un-
popular 10 discuss any of these
"eX-cathedra' announcements
of our officials. But ii should b.
permissible 10 wonder whether
il wouldn't be wiser 10 tell our
people some facts with the
bark off" as Jack Garner says.
instead of surfeiting them with
slogans.
NOTHING in Mr.. Hopkins
~ career or experience makes
his Judgment that HITLER wont
VIVA purely military and
economic puzzie-w oft h ( h g
paper on which ii is written
No war expert can or will al
tempt certainly TO say whether
Hitler will win or not. and
surely Mr.. Hopkins is no better
equipped.
In the first place. what DOES
win" mean? If il means con
quer the world" it is too much
territory and all probabilities are
against IT,
If il means 10 remain for
very long time in an entrenched
and dominating position in Eu-
rope. the probabilities are the
other way
Hopkins bases his opinion on
the superior economic resources
Of the United States plus Brit
ain.
Economic resources are neces-
sary 10 the conduct of war. but
only when they are condensed,
converted and maTShatCd for
military uses can they be
weighed in the balance TO decide.
in advance. the eventual ques-
ton OF defeat or victory.
LIVERY informed observer in
- Washington. so far as /
know. believes that this admin
iStration is only waiting 10
throw in our navy for some in
cident in which Hitler. tempted
by our further and further inter
vention in Europe, will fire on
our flag.
OF course, that is only a mat
ter of time and the devising Of
those further intrusions. They
are being devised
No matter what precautions
are taken for the secrecy in our
great sprawling bureaucracy II
leaks like sieve.
These things have way Of
shortly becoming known, and to-
day the capital is hummlng
with this certainty.
The President himself prac-
tically said IL IN his unlimited
emergency" speech:
II have said on many occa-
sions that the United States l.
mastering its men and Its re-
sources only for the purposes Of
defense-oniy to repel attack. I
repeat that statement now. But
we must be realistic when we
Use the word attack"
we seem ro be Using c3ie.ofi,
Irish prescription for justifica-
ton OF a fight:
II stuck my nose In his mouth
and he bit II.
Our entry into a shooting war
is not very far away.
MANY questions about this re-
WI main unanswered. This one
was hardly given the tribute of
glance in the Presidents
speech:
We enter a naval war in the
Atlantic What then happens in
the Pacific?
Maybe there is a good answer,
but il hasn't been made 10 the
American people.
Many things the people have q
right 10 know.
Churchill's lifelong record OF
favoring the far-flung desperate
and insufficiently prepared flank
attack-Antwerp. Gallipoli, Nor
way, Yugoslavia. Greece. Crete
isn't a very encouraging recon-
mendation of him as a StrategiSt
TO direct or point our effort.
AT least, II seems TO be Serl-
ouSly questioned in England
Who is going TO run this war
for us?
IF THE United States is in any
L such desperate case as Mr..
Knox says il is. or If. on the
other hand. the determination
of German power is as certain
as Mr.. Hopkins says, we ought
TO be told something more than
a dogmatic conclusion.
Is getting into shooting war
now. all unready. the best way
TO defend this country?
Does il offer a reasonable
chance Of ending it?
With what are we going 10
fight. and how and where7
Aren't these reasonable queS-
tons?
They have never been an
Swercd.
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