Evening star., 1941-02-11

tIOSCu Iilc DOSSl-
bility of Ameri- David Lawrence.
can troops coming to Europe in 1941
that raised a quibbling inquiry here
to the effect that he had not elimi-
mated 1912 or 1943.
When Mr.. Churchill, therefore,
fatty says now he does not expect
an American eXpeditionary force at
any time and gives his reasons
namely, that this is not war of
man power, but of maChineS-he
diSposeS summarily of very influ-
ential point which has been used
over and over again in Congress in
an attempt to beat the leaSe-lend
bill TO aid Britain.
Never from the beginning has
President Roosevelt had in mind
the sending of another A. E. F. to
Europe He was willing to have the
last Democratic national platform
include such pledge and he has
repeated it since. The real reason
is that the war is going to be fought
in the air and on the seas, and the
British through their dominionS
have plenty of pilots and troops for
such excursions as have to be made
in the Mediterranean. Also, If the
fortunes of war should turn and
revived France should get momen-
tum again. there are plenty of troops
among the French and Belgian and
Czecho- -Slovakian and Dutch peoples
who could furnish the nucleus OF
counterattaCks.
Military Mind Anticipates.
But. it has been asked, why did
the United States Army order
100000 identification tags and
lot of casketS? The answer Is that
the military mind prepares for war
and for any eventuality, while the
head of the state and Congress
make the policies. The fact that
the United States Army is pre-
pared for any and all contingencies,
even to the last detail, is an i'm
portant piece Of information for
foreign governments to know.
Though invasion of the United
States may be considered remote.
the presence of a big Army ready
to defend Latin America against
counter attacks from Nazi con-
ouerors is expected to have pre-
ventive influence. When an army
Is only half prepared it is conSid-
cred half-hearted, and the diplo-
matte representations of its gov
ernment are viewed with CORE
spending lack of respect.
The purpose of the United States
Government at the moment is to
build a mobile army capable of
being moved anywhere in the West
ern Hemisphere and to carry with
It all the mechanical equipment
necessary to ward off any other
force. The Army. of course. has
been going on the very legitimate
assumption from a military stand
point that the British Navy would
fall into German hands and that
combined with air power the Nazis
could influence the collapse OF free
government in strategic places in
Latin America.
This is the reason why prepara-
tions for defense of this hemisphere
are necessarily elaborate and have
been unfortunately misconStrued as
meaning the possible dispatch of an
expeditionarv force to Europe.
An Effective Address.
The speech of the British Prime
Minister on Sunday will help sub
stantially in answering the fears
that another A. E. F. is being
planned. Mr. Churchill'S magnifl-
cent statement was one of the most
effective addresses in all the long
history of British rela-
tions. The British Prime Minister
was we'll advised in striking out
hard at the myth of Nazi invincl-
bilitv which has been permeating
Washington of late. He likewise
was discreet in confining his appeal
for American aid to the tools of
war. for it made the British appeal
one which fits in with historic
American policy, namely, to furnish
" NPdIbIIS vi wal W llCC tlOllS u
policy now epitomi1ed in President
Roosevelt'S apt phrase concerning
the arsenal of democracy"
There was a time here when op-
position was aroused to the manu-
facture and sale of munitions as
in itself provoking war, and al
though this point of view had to
be fought at the expense of the
accusation of munition profiteering,
there have been many in Congress
and out who have insisted that it
would be to the interest of dicta-
torships and despotic governments
If America denied arms to weak
nations.
It would appear that American
policy now has been formulated for
generations to come-there will be
Government manufacture of NUM-
tions and Government encourage
ment of private plants capable of
turning out weapons of war to the
end that free nations may never
again be placed at the mercy OF
tyrannical and scheming govern
ments which depend on the guilt
bility of democracies. Never again
will arms be withheld, and it would
not be surprising if the Kellogg
BRAND treaties of the past are some
day implemented so as to insure
in wartime flow of weapons only
to those nations which are the vic
tins of aggression.
Reproduction Rights Reserved)