The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-07-10

charted' seas of oratory and his test flights in trial balloons.
 His record of war-like utterances clirnaxed by his most recent and most amazing statement that the U. s. Navy should "clear the Atlan- tic of the German menace" has left Washington gasping. There is a little talk of impeachment, but that's wild, too. The net score to date is that not once has Secretary Knox had to use parachute or life preserver to get back to the safe harbor of his desk, from which base he just grir1s broadly, saying noth- ing, or at the most, "Nocomment. !" TRUTH IS HE
 WON'T TALK
 What about those men up on the hill who want his scalp2 "No conlmentW
 Did the President okay his speech es?
 "No comment.'
 Is he going to resign?
 "T'll let you write your own am swer to that"
 The answer is that he is not going to resign at all. They'll have to torpedo him out of the job. He loves 1t. And he has been ship wrecked out on a limb, and had his bow ties fired across before.
 Though he is still running an un- scheduled race with cotton -Inouthed Senator Claude E. Pepper of Talla- hasSee, Fla, as to who can make the most warlike speeches, there isn't anything new in KnoXs line, as 8 cursory examination of his speeches the last 10 months will show.
 Tn August he was talking about the international brigands." Tn October, addressing an FBI gradu- ating class, he was already to go, steam up and a bunker full of coal. "If a fight Is forced upon us," he said, i've shall be ready for them. We have never lost a war yet"
 A month later, before the New England council, he paid his respects to appeasers with this broadside: Tt doesn't fit the American spirit, the American purpose to talk appeasement in Q world like this where force and force alone detef- mines the date of nations. And we will not talk about what we are going to do. We are going to do 1t, and that speaks louder than words"
 In January, before the House Foreign Affairs Committee consid- ering the lease-lend program, as well as in his Armistice Day speech before the American Legion at Columbia, s. O., Knox was ready to defend the entire hemisphere against all corners, and there was only one way to do that. We should now" he said prevent Germany from overturning the British sea power which holds the Nazis in Europe"
 Addressing the mid-year graduat- Ing class at Annapolis, the secretary made 1t plain that the middies were in for 1t. You are entering your professional life under the shadow of another irreconcilable conflict" he told them. "You go to help oc- cupy the western worlds first line of defense. Upon :. you :. will rest the future safety of the United States and the entire vest ern hemisphere"
 He has not, however, been one to let the other fellows do all the fight ing. T would rather die fighting Hitler than live under his rule," he told the conference of mayors at St. Louis In February.
 The war took on holy aspect to the secretary in the spring. God help us, God forgive us," he prayed, If we don't bear our share in the fight for the control of the seas a. gainst human slavery" Concluding a speech in washington, he em- phasized that the war would call for sacrifices matching those made by an American generation that has gone before. "It is going to take all that we have" he concluded.
 T humbly pray God that we shall match up, with our courage and resolution, to that which has been demonstrated over in that tight lit- tie isle from which so many of us have decended."
 Knox was among the first to beat the drums for conveys. "It is pretty idle to discuss whether or not con- voys are in accord with interna- tional law" he blandly assured a meeting of military engineers. There is an enemy of all civiliza- ton in this world, and can we afford to be anywhere else but among those who oppose that eremy? We have said we were among those who oppose, and we should make our opposition felt, whatever the price may be-"
 From there. 1t was only a step to his declaration at the end of June: "Now is the time to put in motion the huge machine we have been building since the war began" Some of the Army gold-braiders in Washington can be heard tc mutter through their teeth what machine?" but Colonel Knox is in the Navy now.
 WASHINGTON
 TOP SOIL
 Women Investors in America, which you probably never heard of. Is lobbying in Washington for repeal of the lease.lend act. i. More than 3,700 manufacturers have filed claims with the War Depart ment, asking for tax allowances and flve-year amortization Of defense plant expansions. but so far fewer than 100 have been granted. :. The Army may hire 5000 civilians for duty in Army camps 90 the soldiers can concentrate on war. Twenty.sig industries, most Of them dealing with transportation and communication. have been given preferences ili getting materials for repairs. The tFlp0li and dla~ toinlle industries Hook 'em ID in