Evening star., 1941-01-18

numbers that of
the United David Lawrence.
States and that, despite the new
building program, America cannot
possibly catch up, but faces even
greater odds than before if the
British feet is sunk or captured
This revelation will come as a
shock to the American people, who
had been led to believe that the
United States Navy would be big
enough almost to go 1t alone In
world affairs when the present two
ocean Navy is completed. What
the Secretary of the Navy now dis
closes is that America Is outnum-
bered almost two to one and maybe
will be outnumbered three to one
because of the enormous shipbuild-
ing facilities which the axis powers
have acquired or have built.
When Secretary Knox says that
America needs time and that only
the preservation of the British fleet
intact can give us naval preponder-
ance, he is putting the argument
for aid to Britain on basis which
has never before been announced.
It may change the whole trend OF
the debate and bring at once to the
side of the lease-lend bill many
members of Congress who had
thought the issue was not so perllous
as had been described.
Each Faces Responsibility.
Now, with the facts before the
public, every member of Congress
will face the responsibility for
American safety Throughout the
years Congress has usually given the
Navy a much better share of de-
tense appropriations than the Army
because of feeling that the Amer
ican people considered the Navy to
be the first line OF defense. Today
the subject of added naval strength
comes in a new form. Shall the
British Navy, in effect, be considered
an integral part of the defense OF
the United States? Secretary Stim-
says says the British have promised
not to give up their fleet, but he
recalls that in times of stress and
perhaps surrender there is no Ger
tainty that pledges can be kept even
If there is a sincere desire to do so.
So the whole defense problem
comes down to this: Will the United
States throw her weight into the
scales to save Britain in order that
the British Navy shall be saved?
President Roosevelt long ago came
to the conclusion that all aid to
Britain was the surest way to keep
America out of war. By this is
meant, of course, keeping the axis
powers from getting strong enough
to recognize acts of the United
States as war and attacking us.
War Up to Nazis.
The chief arguments against the
pending bill are that it may involve
us in war and that President Roose-
welt will have too much power. The
first is up to the Nazis to answer
and the debate here will hardly do
more than reflect the guesses and
predictions of the protagonists. A
couple years ago the isolationists in
the Senate made some poor guesses
about the outbreak of war and the
President was proved right.
The next point will also not be
answered by debate. Dlstrust OF
large power in the hands of one man
is not the kind of thing that will
be clarified by hundreds of thou
sands of words of speeches in Con-
eress. The American people will
have to decide that issue them
selves. The President has just won
an election and has been given
100000 votes. His opponent, who
polled 22,000,000 votes, now indorses
the same bill with minor modiflca-
tions.
To those who do not feel that the
President should exercise such
power the answer will be made that
the Secretary of the Navy and the
Secretary of War are members OF
the Republican party and certainly
not New Dealers. The Secretary OF
State, Cordell Hull, is not radical
but a conservative. These three
have testified that broad powers are
necessary and that in their judg-
ment the powers will not be mis-
used. This is but another way OF
pointing out that three OF Amer
icas foremost citizens who have
been known for their disinterested-
ness of purpose in public service say
the passage of the bill Is necessary
to Americas safety.
Both Critical of Phases.
Mr.. Knox as a MidWestern pub
fisher and as a Republican vice
presidential nominee in 1886 has ex-
pressed Just as much distrust of the
Roosevelt administration as any
critic. He is now Secretary of the
Navy.
Mr.. Stimson as Secretary of State
In the cabinet of President Hoover
and a lifelong Republican who served
in the cabinet of President Theodore
Roosevelt is one of the Nations most
able lawyers and is respected in
New York City as a man of deep
convictions.
He is certainly no exponent OF
New Deal philosophy on domestic
matters and would be the first to
fight any dictatorship or seizure OF
public power. He is now Secretary
Of War.
Both men served in the United
States Army in the last war and
have q prejudi against war and in
favor of peace. Because they think
the pending bill offers America the
best chance of keeping at peace they
are supporting it wholeheateredly,
The Republican party in Congress
now faces a choice between the lead
ership Of Messrs. Willkie, Knox and
Stinson and the isolationist group.
The Democrats are preponderantly
IN favor of the passage of the
measure.