Evening star., 1941-02-11

retary of War. who urged that an
Army of million men ke kept un-
der arms, the Army was constantly
reduced. The Navy. he said, also
was reduced under the Washington
and London Naval Disarmament
Conferences. although at the close
of the World War it had been 40 pei
cent stronger than any other.
Trend Of the Times.
"It was the trend of the times
said Mayor La Guardia, a trend
which continued here and in Eu-
rope. until Hitler came to the fore
In 1888 and 1899. he continued. the
ewes of this Government were opened
and the President recommended a
program of national defense.
This bill is part of that program, "
Mayor La Guardia insisted i be-
lieve that TO give arms TO Britain at
this time will not weaken our ma
tionaI defense. If Great Britain is
victorious We will get off very cheap
ly. If England and the British Navy
hold out. this given aid will be no
loss. to us
The added arms and ships we
would have If we did not give this
aid would not have the same value
to us if the British were defeated.
The military mathematics is that
the United States will be gamer by
this aid 10 Britain.
I'VE offer this help now not be-
cause of our military strength. but
because of our military weakness
on February II. l94l,'
Mayor La Guardia declared that
the technique of military attack had
changed since the days of the
World War. He said he was not
afraid at all of this countrys S being
conquered.
Says L. S. Can't Be Conquered.
The united might of the world"
he said, cant conquer us" He
pointed out. however. that it would
take time for the United States to
come to state of preparation
whereby it could eventually beat off
all attacks. He said it might take
until 1914 or 1916, if this country
we're attacked from both the At
lantic and Pacific. The people and
the Government, he said. could re-
tire into the interior of the country
and prepare while the fighting was
going on.
But it will be pretty tough on
your coast. Senator Johnson" said
the Mayor, and pretty tough on
nv coast
Mayor La Guardia said America
did not want 10 go into European
affairs, but that Europe wants to
get into American affairs. He in
sisted that Hitler realize he could
not solve his postwar problems from
European territory. He said that
Hitler and his side kick" Mussolini
have necessarily been frank about it.
The Mayor said that opponents
Of the bill. among them Col. Charles
A. Lindbergh. had recommended
building up the national defense
and letting all else go. He said il
would be impossible to build up ano
keep that measure of defense con-
stantly. 1--WE can't afford to do it,
he said.
Mayor La Guardia said that Q
new philosophy prevailed and that
a negotiated peace with Hitler
would be valueless.
Finland has one" said Mayor
La Guardia Finland was overrur
by Soviet Russia, Czecho- -Slovakia
Poland, Austria have had one"
Flight Over Iceland Cited.
He called attention to reports OF
reconnaissance flight by German
planes, flying low, over Iceland yes
terday Iceland, he said, is a stra-
tegic base If the Germans intend
to invade Britain.
Mayor La Guardia. himself OF
italian descent, warned the italian
people that if they continue to follow
Mussolini they will become the
gardeners of Germany" He made
the statement while Senator CLARK
was asking if he agreed with DR.
Conant that the United States
should go to war if necessary tc
defeat Hitlerism.
"I thought what the doctor was