Evening star., 1941-02-25

pendent for our safety upon the
British fleet. Since when did the
United States become so palsied and
so feeble as to demand protection
from any fleet, or any army, or
any nation!
Again the fears of our people
have been aroused by the terrors
of invasion. The picture has been
painted that hostile airplanes may
be flying over ST. Louis, Kansas
City or Lincoln, and the awful con-
sequences to us. Practically every
witness, who pretended to be expert
at all, in the hearings of the Foreign
Relations Committee. held that in
VaSion of our country was impos-
sible: that no country could main
tain its line of supplies to reach us;
and that TO argue otherwise was
simply to create among our own
fright and fear that would cause us
to pass this bill. To listen to some
of the orators in favor of this bill
would make us all tremble with
fear that each night we would find
ourselves subjected to terrible bonn
bardmentS from the air, and that
each housewife must arm herself
before retiring, and look under the
bed carefully to see that Hitler had
not arrived
Plane Shipments Cited.
We are told that Hitler may cap
ture the British fleet and turn it
against us. and this is the reason
advanced for our intervention in
the war-intervention at this time
could not prevent such an unhappy
conclusion. A brief moments S
thought will convince the seeker
for truth that this is So There are
so many things alleged by those who
want us either TO declare war at
once. or intervene at once, that it
is difficult to separate statements
from miSStatementS. But the truth
may be hidden at the bottom of the
well, and the seeker after it can
find it if he desires. We do not
need to rest upon the statements
of the Premier of England that he
would never deliver up the feet TO
Hitler, nor upon our own knowledge
of the English nation and their
dogged determination TO see situa-
tlonS Though. We have been fed
with statements Of our dependency
upon the British feet in the past.
President Lincoln with his Civil War
experience and President Cleveland
IN the light of the Venezuelan con-
troversy might sgeriously doubt this
statement. But. even were 1t true.
what earthly thing could we do to
remedy it. The mere giving of arms.
material, planes, etc, would not
perform the job, and all of this is
being received by the British now.
All Aid Is Being Given Britain Now
In 1910 our airplane production
was 1884 OF these Britain received
1884; other foreign nations, 374: the
United States Navy, 1872, and the
Army. 384. The disproportionate
number of planes furnished Great
Britain very plainly these figures
show, and they need no elaboration.
Everything the Britons have asked
for has been Cheerfully given to the
detriment of our own preparedness.
We're all in favor of an adequate
national defense We have almost
in providing for it. Every American
yields everything to it. Perhaps not
because he believes it to be abSo-
lutely necessary, but because he be-
lieVes it may be necessary. Both
the Navy and the Army have been
provided with billions of appropria-
tions. They will require more bill
lions, especially if we enter upon the
grandiose scheme of the President
for providing, as he said in his
speech on the state of the Nation,
the four great liberties in all the
world The American taxpayer is
long suffering man. He will give
of his substance, as he is giving now,
and all he asks is that his giving
may not denude his own beloved
country of all defense. Under this
bill no living soul can tell for
what purpose. nor when, nor how
the money of America will be poured
out: whether it will be used for the
punishment of nations that are ag-
greSSorS now, or those who may
hereafter become aggressors. Amer
ica is entitled to know this, and If
nothing is forthcoming from our
Government, we pause and our men,
orieS take us back but short time
ago when Russia was a great ag-
gressor nation. We can recall Rus
sia's shocking assault upon little
Finland, and how we were all stirred
and deeply touched by the bravery
of that people We have recently
seen three smaller nations, contigu-
GUS to, appropriated by Russia, We
witnessed her participation in the
rape of Poland with anger and in
dignatiOn, and vet lust a few short