Evening star., 1941-07-21

uudllulOuS OpllllOll VI lllOoC VIII
are daily cognizant, as military
and naval officers and as Gov
ernment servants in the field Of
international relations, that
schemes and plans of aggressor
nations against American secur-
ity are so evident that the United
States and the rest of the Ameri-
cas- are definitely imperiled in
their national interests. That is
why reluctantly, and only after
careful weighing Of all facts and
all events, recently proclaimed
that an unlimited national emer-
gency exists.
1t is not surprising that millions
of patriotic Americans find it
difficult in the pursuit of their
daily occupations and in the
normal lives of their families to
give constant thought to the
implications OF happenings many
thousand of miles away. 1t is
hard for most of us to bring
such events into focus with our
own readily accepted and normal
democratic ways of living
That is why I must refer again
to the sequence of conquests-
German conouests or attacks
which have continued uninter-
ruptedly throughout several years
all the way from the coup
against Austria to the present
campaign against Russia.
Every move up and down and
across Europe, and into Asia, and
into Africa has been conducted
according to a time schedule uti-
hzing in every case an over
whelming superiority not only in
materie lbut in trained men as
well. Each campaign has been
based on a preliminary assur-
ance of safety or non-aggression
to the intended victim. Each
campaign has been based on dis
arming fear and gaining time
until the German government
was fully ready to throw treaties
and pacts to the winds and ST.
multaneously to launch an at
tack in -whelming force.
Each elimination of a victim
has brought the issue of Nazi
domination closer to this hemi-
sphere, while month by month
their intrigues of propaganda
and conspiracy have sought to
weaken every link in the COM
munity of interests that should
bind the Americas into a great
Western family.
I do not think that any branch
of the Government of the United
States will be willing to let Amer
lea risk the fate which has de-
stroyed the independence of other
nations.
We Americans cannot afford to
speculate with the security of
America.
Furthermore. we have def
mite responsibility to every coun-
try in the Western Hemisphere
to aid each and every one of
them against attack from with
out the hemisphere. I do not
believe that any branch of the
American Government would de-
sire today to abrogate our Pan
American pacts or to discard a
policy which we have maintained
for nearly a century and a
quarter.
If we do not reverse this his
toric policy, then it is our duty
to maintain 1t. To weaken our
Army at this particular time
would be, in my judgment, an act
of bad faith toward our neigh
bors.
Relief In Individual Cases.
realize that personal sacri-
fees are involved in extending
the period of service for selec-
tees, the National Guard and
other Reserve components of our
Army. I believe that provision
now can and. will be made in
such an extension to relieve In
dividual cases Of undue hard
ship, and also to relieve older
men who should, in justice, be
allowed to resume their civilian
occupations as quickly as their
services can be spared.
Nevertheless, I am confident
that the men now in the ranks
of the Army realize, far better
than does the general public, the
disastrous effect which would re-
suit from permitting the present
Army, only now approaching an
acceptable state of efficiency, to
melt away and set us back at
least six months while new units
are being reconstructed from the
bottom up and from the top down
with new drafts Of officers and
men.
Tha hH3siatioa ~ lARt wear