Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-29
Wheeler Declares
President Echoes
Warmakers' Wishes
WiIIkie Also AssuiIed
As Montonun SCOTS at
Fears Of Nuzi Tactics
By the Associated Press.

INDIANAPOLIS, May 29.-Sen-
ator Wheeler, Democrat, of Mon
tana told a shirt-sleeved America
First Committee rally last night
that President Roosevelt's latest
"hreside chat" ECHOED the senti-
ments of our warmakers Of
all those who would sacrifice lives
that are not theirs to give"
The crowd, estimated by Chair
man Merle Miller at 1000 to 5000,
cheered wildly as Senator Wheel
er, leader of the isolationist bloc,
shouted:
Il am confident, Mr.. President,
that any plea you make for war will
fall on deaf ears"
The audience, perspiring in 90
degree heat in low-ceilinged Cadle
Tabernacle, booed the mention Of
Wendell L. WILKES name. Sem
ator Wheeler said Indiana-born Mr..
Willkie, Republican presidential
nominee in 1910, now was Mr.. Roose-
velt's lieutenant"
Charges Preaching of Fear.
Senator Wheeler accused the
President of preaching fear" and
called on the Chief Executive ito
reassert his repeated promises not
to send American boys to fight and
die on foreign soil in a foreign
war"
The Montana Senator said he
was informed that the President
at his press conference yesterday
said he was not going to ask for
repeal of the Neutrality Act"
And when he was asked how he
was going to enforce freedom of
the seas he stated, One way to keep
American ships out of places where
they will be sunk.
Which statement do you stand
on, Mr.. President, your warlike
speech or your later statements
to the press?" he asked.
He asserted the President had
said this country should be guided
by facts but had not given all the
facts.
Asks If Defense Isn't Begging Down.
why not tell the American peo-
pie the facts about our defense
program" Senator Wheeler asked.
rs it not begging and breaking
down?
why not tell the American peo-
pie the fact that we have few
planes suitable for combat fight
ing-that is, equipped with armor
plate, adequate fire power and self
sealing gas tanks? Why not tell
the people that our Army is i'll
trained, judged by modern stand
ards of war? Why not tell the peo-
Pile, in short, Mr.. President, that
we are wholly unprepared to fight
5000 miles from our shores?
And. Mr.. President, why didn't
you tell the American people that
there is no possibility of a military
invasion Of the Americas? Aren't
these cold, hard facts:
That our Navy is the mightiest
in all the woodland that it is be-
coming stronger and stronger?
SCOTS at Invasion Of u. S.
THAT the German fleet is in
consequential and was designed for
short-range fighting?
That to invade either North or
South America the invading force
would need a tremendously superior
fleet?
That it would require at least
seven years for Germany to build a
fleet that would equal ours?"
Senator Wheeler also asked If it
weren't true that there wasn't suf-
ficient shipping in the whole world to
transport an army of million men
and their equipment from Europe
or Africa to the Americas.
He asked the President if it were
not true, also, that Britain's air
man power was exhausted, that Eng
land and America together could
not land troops in Europe, that
American man power and air power
could be brought to bear in Europe
only through establishment of
Near East front.
Shipping Held Inadequate.
Senator Wheeler commended avail
-.