The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1943-01-11
> Clapper

Most Important job Is
To Disarm the Axis
And Put . PsdIoek on
The Sun Rack
international Guard
10 Check Wsr Plans
Weeks Notice Of Bomb
Attack Proposed
BY RAYMOND oLAPPER
WAsHTNGTON-Tt N a def
mite war aim that the axis shall
Be disarmed and kept disarmed.
We may argue about setting
upae IVA on the Danube. The
opposition may try to challenge
president Roosevelt's objective
that there shall be Jobs and rea-
sonable security for men and
women after the war. But every
time anybody says there must
Be no repetition of this war. he
n saying that the axis must he
disarmed and must be kept dis-
armed.
President Roosevelt made that
m emphatic point IN his annual
message. When he said we had
learned that peace could not be
maintaingo by good intentions
alone. he was talking the practi-
cal common sense that the axis
must be licked by force--which
he now regards as a certainty
and that 1t must be kept from
building up another war machine
to make . third try for world
conquest.
To keep the axis disarmed win
require concerted action by the
victor nations. Certainly in view
Of the record only the United Ma
tions, cooperating. could hope to
keep Germany. Japan and Italy
from rearming, n Germany did
after the last war. No one can
take the position that the axis
must be kept disarmed and at
the same time oppouD American
participation In the responsibility
for seeing that the axis does not
rearm. IaonDtion will mean tellA
ing Germany to come and take 1t.
Mr.. Roosevelt did not 20 into
detail in his message, but he has
been mulling over possible meth
DDS. The axis coun1ries would be
forbidden to male aircraft or
tanks, for instance. United Ma
lions inspectors would be as
signed to check axis industrial
plants to be sure that parts were
not being made surreptitiously.
Any violation of prohibitions
against arms manufacture In the
axis countries would bring quick
punishment.
It must be a cardinal principle
In any such enforcement that
the punishment be quick and GER
tain. That is more likely to stop
trouble than q wavering, uncer-
tain course. Japan In Manchu-
kuo. Mussolini In Ethiopia, and
Hitler In the Rhineland and In
Austria and Czechoslovalsia gam
bled on hesitation and division
among the other countries. Be
cause Of that hesitation among
their enemies they got away with
their aggressive moves.
So the thinking now Is along >
- line Of having an interna-
tional air authority. as Vice Pres
ident Wallace recently suggested.
International authorities could be
set up much like the New York
port authority. The axis coun-
tries would not be permitted to
build or own or operate aircraft
Of any kind. The line between
civil and military craft is too
narrow. The United Nations
would furnish commercial air
transportation service for those
countries because that In econom-
icaiiy desirable. But the air
fields. the operations. the whole
country would be kept out of axis
hands. In the event an axis coun-
try was caught violating prohi-
bitions against disarming, the
United Nations authority would
impose an immediate blockade of
all traffic and communication.
sealing all frontiers. Notice would
be given Of bombing intentions
aqDst offending areas. For In
stance allow one week after
which bombing would begin.
Ruthless methods viii beneces-
sary If the enemy is not to re-
arm and make another try as
Germany did before. We must
invoke them for our seif-defense.
As Mr.. Roosevelt said. wars grow
In size. death and destruction.
and in the inevitability Of engulf-
ing all nations III inverse ratio
to the shrinking size of the world
as a result Of air power Japan's
blow at Pearl Harbor is nothing
to the blow that she would be
l. A. %.