The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-08-17

| E.WNnnA .uGllLllLClY IlhfC nation"
 Great Britain was also a "have' nation, though it depended on its colonies for most of its raw mater ials.
 In the other category were the ''have not" nations = Japan, Ger many. and Italy, for instance which not only were far from self sufficient in their own economy but also did not have the colonies tc give them the things they lacked From the Hitlerian point of view that was one of the reasons for this present war.
 It may have been hard for the United States to appreciate such a situation before the war began, but it shouldn't be hard to understand now. The have not" business ex- i tends right down to the American family icebox and pantry shelf.
 You have not sufficient sugar, suf- ficient coffee, sufficient tea, suffi- cient rubber to ride on for at least the next two years. In some areas arc shortages of meat, gasoline, fuel oil. Mammy's got corn to burn, but Nanny aint got 'nuf rice, 'nuf COG coanut oil, by long shot.
 In the larger fields of industry and manufacturing the "have not list is longer than both your arms stretched out horizontally, from finger tip. The United States has not sufficient of even such basic stuff as iron and steel and copper and more than 500 other officially listed materials, including even junk. Within the last few days the War Production Board has issued a L., of 500 commodities 1t had placed on an emergency shipping priorities list. They are vital to the nations wartime economy. They run from abrasives to zincorium. They must all be imported, from all parts ot the world.
 ISOLATIONISTS
 DEBUNKED
 The faster you let that fact sink in your stream of consciousness, the faster you will realize that all this talk about splendid isolation - the ability of this country to crawl in its shell and let the rest of the worle go by-is utter and complete bunk
 A lot is said about these Four Freedoms that the United States is fighting for. Yes, they're wonderful and everyone would like to have them sticking around. But you'll soon realize there is something much more fundamental than that this country has to fight for if you give this "have not" situation its full and proper significance.
 As a "have not" nation today, the United States is fighting for just simply subsistence.
 The United States is fighting for its very existence.
 There is much more to this war than just ridding Europe of Hit Ter and Japan of its arrogant, double crossing military marti- nets. This is 8 fight for life.
 At the start of the war in Europe it was assumed that the British hac succeeded in blockading the Nazis and that because Germany was g "have not" nation, 1t could be starved into defeat. But now the other shoe is pinching the othel foot in that regard. Germany made herself self-sufficient by sacrifices syntehtics, and stockpiles and by submarines she has in effect estab- lished counter blockade which in terfered seriously with the goods brought into the United States. Il is not at all out of order today fol neutral to ask, Who is blockad- ing Whom?"
 WHERE THE HAVE NOT"
 REALLY HURTS
 Viewed in that light, winning the war is not just a question of how much material of war the United States can export to Britain, Soviet Russia, China, Australia. Before sui l ficient war materials can be export ed, there must be imported into tht United States the raw material. needed to manufacture the muni tions that must be exported. That! where your have not" comes in ant hurts the hardest.
 It is because of these shortage! that this agitation for cargo plane assumes its present importance Building enough cargo planes tt haul all the war goods that must bt imported and exported and sup piled to American expeditionary forces in the seven seas is out ol the question. A fleet of planes that could hurdle the submarine block ade to bring in all of the 800 critica materials isn't necessary. All tha is needed, according to Donald M Nelson's WIPE committee on cargo planes, is a fleet that will bring 1T adequate supplies of just 37 strate' gic materials.
 The list is restricted, but 1t Is
 permissible to say that the United
 States can conceivably lose this
 war for being a "have not" nation
 in just g items. That's how im-
 pOrtant 1t Is that this country get
 out and stay out of the ''have nOt'
 category. That Is new reason No. for fighting and winning the
 war.