The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1943-11-04

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whereupon the Prime Minister very
promptly told his people the real
truth, which was that the United
States was supplying to that coun-
try much more in goods than it was
receiving in return. However, the
Cabinet member who had made the
original misstatement never cor
rected it.
Such an occurrence as this is I'M
fortunate. +. Some six or eight
months ago on the Senate floor 1
compared our gifts to this nation
with those which we were receiv-
ing from it. At that time this same
member of the Cabinet in that for
eign nation in the Southwest Pa
cific took me to task, saying my fig
ures were not correct and that his
country was giving to us an equal
amount of goods received from us.
1t is distressing at this later date to
find this foreign Cabinet officer is
still disseminating an erroneous
picture of Lend-Lease operations to
his people. Certainly, all we want
is the truth about it. Certainly, we
are at least entitled to have the
truth known by the people who are
receiving our aid. To give away
our natural resources, which en-
tails huge tax burden on our peo-
pie for many years to come, and then
not receive credit for it in the
countries to which it is given is in
excusable and does not conduce to
that good will between nations
which is SO essential at this time.
Zone of the things yet to be done
by our own Government is to set up
a master set of books-books that
will show clearly what our contribu-
ton has been in the field of foreign
aid to each and every nation that
has received it. Likewise these
books should show very accurately
just what each nation has made
available in return-aid to this
country.
1--WE must keep in mind that be-
sides Lend-Lease, there are six or
eight other Agencies of the United
States Government rendering aid
directly or indirectly to our Allies
and to other friendly foreign ma
tons. Besides these expenditures
the Army and Navy have likewise
made OUTLAWS running into the hun
dreds of millions of dollars in many
foreign countries. This work by
the Army and Navy consists in the
building of great airfeldS, docks,
warehouses, harbor and unloading
facilities in the lands and in the
ports of foreign nations. 1t will be
important for our delegates at the
peace conference and for the gen
eral information of the world to
have all this information accurately
assembled for use at the peace ia
bic and afterward Thus, much yet
remains to be done before the full
scope and value of our aid to dozens
of foreign countries is made known
to our own people and to the peo-
pie of the world 1t is to be hoped
that out of the present transition of
affairs here, serious efforts will be
made by our Administration in
Washington to set up such master
set of books, and then to make our
total contribution public by foreign
countries.
I'm this connection we must also
keep in mind that our war effort on
land, sea and in the air on future
battlefelds is one of the very first
in rank. In truth, for some time
we have been the only Nation, part
ly because of our great size and
great wealth, which has been fight
ing in practically every war theatre
in the world Certainly unless we
are in position at the right moment
to tell the world just haw extensive
our war effort has been, our peace
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