The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-01-07

ing the British with the necessary
Yankee-produced army. navy and
aviation supplies to go on fighting
the Axis.
Washington army and navy
Spokesman express themselves in
quite friendly fashion toward the
presidential scheme. They seem to
take IT for granted that, at the
wars end, whatever military equip
ment we've advanced to the British
will be returned to us in good con-
dition, greatly to the advantage OF
our defensive set-up. That a lot Of
such stun will have been chewed
up meantime apparently is a con-
sideration that doesn't enter into
their calculation. l surmise that
they're not really as naive as that,
but it's the tone they take.
Ardent New Deal congressman
and officials in all our executive
departments and agencies also
speak enthusiastically Of the lease
loan proposition-perhaps because
they truly believe in it; perhaps. in
some cases, because the president
put it forward and they're commit
ted to the support Of any policy he
favors.
The legislative isolationist bloc,
however. are irreconcilable. They
agree with Senator Bennett Champ
Clark that the program was
evolved simply with view to get
ting around our Johnson and neu-
trality laws and, as the Missouri
senator says, that it's most i'm
practicable"
Successful Dodge?
What frets 'em is that, even
though it may amount to a dodg-
ing of the Johnson and neutrality
laws, they're afraid 1t will be
successful dodge, and they're not
a bit sure that congress will or
can prevent it. AS to its ''practic-
ability" they're nightly suspi-
cious that the White House will
manage to go ahead and make 1t
work anyway.
In answer to the isolationists' rep
resentation that much Of the war
material we send to Britain will
be shot full of holes or burned up,
and therefore never can be passed
back to us, they're reminded that
the presidential plan provides for
British repayment, covering such
damages. in goods. But the isola-
tionists maintain that John Bull
won't have the goods. Moreover,
their opinion is that he wouldn't
deliver them il he did have-he
didn't pay his last debt.
Well" rejoin the anti-isolation-
lists, "supposing he had tried to
pay 1t. What would he have paid
1t in? Gold? All we do with gold
is to bury 1t in Kentucky, where
it's an outright expense to us to
take care Of. Colds got no intrinsic
value except to fill teeth with and
for little jewelry."
"All right" argue the isolation
lists. then why didn't J. Bull start
paying US in goods that time" He
didn't, and he won't do it this next
time. either"
And the discussion fzzles out
into an intermidable economic
wrangle.
ITO all intents and purposes"
proclaim the isolationists. we're
in the present war now. If we pro-
coed with F. DIS lease-lend pro-
gram. Germany probably will rec
ognize that we're in ii and out-and-
out declare war on us. Then we
WILL be notwithstanding all
our talk of aid SHORT Of war"
Let EN- Declare War"
Pooh" respond the anti-isola.
tionists. "A German declaration OF
war against the United States
wouldn't mean anything. 30 long
as Hitler's hands are full with
Britain. We could just stay home
and ignore his mere declaration
Helping John Bull with our sup.
plies is just plain insurance against
our own participation in the literal
fighting"
OF course that contentious
equivalent to our recognition that
Britain's doing our fighting for US,
and a lot OF Americans don't like
that idea.
Besides. remark the isolationists.
II Germany we're to declare war
against us. Japan would be bound
to join in its declaration. as Nip
pon's Foreign Minister Yosuke
Matsuoka stated in Toxic the
other day. We might ignore Hitler.
but we couldn't ignore the n1ikado.