Evening star., 1941-01-16
Text of Stimson Leose-Lend Statement
Ad-toBton Measure Will Help Americas Own Arms Program
War Secretary Tells House Military Affairs Committee

Allies against Germany. Italy and
Japan were arrayed against Ger
many on the side of Britain and
France. The British, French, Italian
and Japanese fleets were in prac-
tically complete control of all of the
oceans Of the world. Today Italy
and Japan are members of the Ger
man axis. France is conquered and
her fleet is incapable of opposing the
Central Powers. The British feet
today stands alone as an obstacle
to German control of the Atlantic.
In 1917 the munition factories and
supplies of Great Britain and France
were so abundant that they were
able to supply, and did supply to us,
the great bulk of the weapons which
we then needed. In spite of our own
efforts at munition production dur
ing the year and half of our par
ticipation in the war, France and
Britain furnished us with substan-
TALLY all of the airplanes, the artll-
lery, and with large proportion of
the rifles and machine guns which
we used, as well as with great stores
of ammunition for those weapons.
Now Must Supply Britain.
In other words, those countries
constituted our principal arsenals
and furnished us with the bulk of
our most important weapons. To-
day many arsenalS in conquered
countries such as France are at the
service of the axis nations, and
Great Britain, far from being in a
position to come to our assistance
with munitions, is compelled to enter
our markets for a substantial guam
tity of weapons for her own use.
Instead of being assisted by other
nations in obtaining the weapons
needed for our own defense, we are
obliged to prepare our defense in
consideration of their needs. This
constitutes almost a complete re-
versal of the situation with which
we were then confronted.
Instead of being able leisurely tc
pick and choose and deliberately to
arm ourselves, relying upon the then
existing stability on the other side OF
the Atlantic, we are not only COM
PEELED to arm ourselves entirely by
our own efforts, but to do so at the
very time when it is imperative that
our American industry and plants
should be working at top speed tC
furnish vital weapons of defense tc
Rrit in, cl7n q Y
meet the crisis which is confronting
her this spring and summer, ano
thus preserve her feet as bulwarE
in the Atlantic Ocean.
Unified Purchasing Urged.
I think it is manifest that in such
a situation every possible effor
should be made to simplify all STEP
in the production of the munition
which in the last analysis are II
constitute our defense. I also thinl
it is manifest that expeditions mean
and clear authority must be pro
vided to assure the prompt distri
button Of munitions to countrie
whose defense is important to us
To be alert in our defense we mus
have flexible means with which Il
act.
It is the essence of the President
plan, as I understand it, that thI
United States shall become vir'
tually the sole purchasing unit TO
war materials to be ordered from
the manufacturers of this country
that there will thus be constitutes
one great funnel through which al
| the production of such materials il
this country will be ordered an
through which the materials whel
| finished will flow from the produc
ton lines; and that, consistent witt
our national policy, as it has beel
enunciated and indorsed by tht
Congress and the people, we shal
then be in position to apportiol
these munitions among ourselve
and other democracies whose de
fense is important to us.
Many Advantages to Plan.
This plan has many advantages
1t will eliminate the competition O.
many different purchasing agencies
from different countries. I am in.
formed that there are or have beer
at least dozen different purchasine
commissions from foreign countrie.
operating in this country since the