Evening star., 1941-05-07

have in short adopted a mode
of national life which is de-
pendent upon the continuance
of sea power of which we our
selves feel in no apprehension.
Today that situation is gravely
threatened. The British Isles,
which have been fortress
against any despotic approach to
our shores through the northern
reaches of the Atlantic, are
threatened both by attacks from
the air and blockade from the
sea. If their government should
fall either from starvation or
from attack, the British fleet, If
1t survived at all, would have no
adequate base for its continued
operations. If the British Isles
should fall, all of the great ship
yards of Britain would pass into
the hands of the aggressor ma
tiOns, and their maritime ship
building capacity, thus aug
mented, would become six or
seven times as large as our own.
Under such conditions our own
fleet would be quite unable to
protect the Western Hemisphere
from the overwhelming sea power
which would then confront it.
Even today its tonnage is ex-
ceeded by the combined tonnage
Of the Axis powers and, with the
enormous preponderance in
building capacity which they
would then have, command OF
the entire seas surrounding us
would in time inevitably pass
into their hands.
Britain's Thinly Spread Forces
Give America Precious Time.
Furthermore, we have only just
begun to build up our military
and air defenses. At least year
will pass before we can have an
army and an air force adequate
to meet the air and ground forces
which could be brought against
us II the control of the seas
passes into Axis hands. Ten
months ago we began to build up
those air and ground defenses
and the progress which has thus
far been made has been satis-
factory and has surpassed our
expectations. But the stubborn
fact remains that an adequately
constructed and trained air force
and army in a country of this
size cannot be created in less
than a minimum of two years fit
to meet the air forces and army
which Germany has been SPEND
ing six years in producing Time
is the essential factor and time
cannot be had if sea power is lost.
Today the wide flung forces of
the British Navy are threatened
in the North Atlantic, the Med
iterranean and in Malaysia.
Those thinly spread forces today
alone are securing to us that
precious time.
None OF these facts are new.
They have been unfolded before
the eyes of us all, if we would
take the trouble to read the les
son. They have been the motive
Of the policy and action of our
Government thus far and our
people understand them and have
approved the course which the
Government has so far followed.
Not only have enormous appro-
priations been passed by the Con-
gress for our own defense, but a
statute. the so-called Lease ard
Lend Act, has been passed ex-
pressly for the purpose of fur
nishing aid to Britain and those
other beleaguered nations whose
defense the Congress has deemed
necessary to our own defense.
Under that act. seven billion more
dollars have been appropriated
to efectuate that assistance. All
of these statutes have been passed
by overwhelming majorities.
Now it is becoming every day
more clear that all this alone is
not sufficient. The lifeline of
Great Britain is threatened. The
high-water mark Of the Nazi ef-
fort is at hand in the shape Of
an attack on the shipping which
furnishes Britain with the means
and the nourishment to maintain
her battle. Not only does the
blockade imperil the delivery to
Great Britain of the munitions
which we are sending her, but the
supplies of food necessary for her
population are already becoming