Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-03-12
Essential Weapon

| Land, secretary Knox and other top
administration officials have testi-
fed, and on the strength of its own
record of accomplishments, there
can be no doubt that the operation
of lease-lend must be extended by
Congress for at least another year
beyond the expiration date of June
30. If it had never existed, we would
not be nearly so we'll off. militarily,
as we are today, for in large meas
ure because of it, because of the way
it bolstered Britain and Russia in
their most desperate hours. and be-
cause of the key role it has played
in the tide-turning battles since
Stalingrad, the Nazis are on the run
and the war in Europe has entered
the last round
We are at that point now where
the great decisive blows are about
to be struck by the Allies. Now, as
much as ever before. leaSe-lend-
which figured so prominently in the
preliminary softening-up must
continue to function if the knock
out is to be delivered with the full
est possible speed and at the lowest
possible cost in terms of lives. To
let 1t lapse, to fail to renew it, would
be as senseleSs as If a prizefighter,
after having driven his opponent to
the ropes. should suddenly decide
to stop using one of his best punches.
1t has played major part in pin
ming Hitler down. and to let it pass
from the picture at this juncture
would be to imperil ourselves. This
much Secretary Knox and others
have made clear in their testimony
before the House Foreign Affairs
Committee. The logic is unassail-
able; militarily, with the mightiest
OF our offensives in the making,
lease-lend has become an indispen-
sable part of our Allied war machine.
There is disposition among
some groups to caricature this his
torically unique arrangement as a
one-way proposition in which the
United States gives everything and
receives nothing. The truth is, of
course, that it works reciprocally,
even though our contribution, by
reason of our productive capacity and
general position, Is. by far the great
est among the Allies when measured
solely on the scale OF cash values.
Yet, even on that scale. the aid &C
corded us is immense, amounting at
present to about $4,000, 100000
year from the United Kingdom
alone. Another loose criticism of
lease-lend is that it encourages
other nations to lean too heavily on
us for war equipment instead of
producing on an about basis them
selves. The absurdity of this view,
however, is clear from what Rus
sian industry has done. And as for
England, her output has been phe-
nomenal. the fact being that with
strictly limited manpoWer and land
space, she has built since the start of
the war, $4,000 tanks, $4,000 guns,
10000 planes and more than 100000
wheeled vehicles, to name but a few
categories.
Actually, statistics cannot meas
ure the contribution made by each
ally against the common enemy. 1t
is pointless, certainly, to try to
evaluate, in dollars and cents, the
ideas and information exchanged by
American and British war scientists,
for example. And it is obviously i'm
possible ever to reduce to bookkeep-
ing the Russian and other Allied
blood that has been spilled to smash
the Axis. But one thing all of US
can be sure Of: That without this
joint effort and sacrifice, the war
would be vastly more difficult to win
Militarily. in short, as the formalized
expression of mutual cooperation
in arms, lease-lend is one of the
most potent and essential of United
Nations weapons and it must con-
tinue in full service until victory is
ours
Foreiqn-Lunquuqe Press