The Coolidge examiner., 1945-07-13


points of competent military auth
critics, operating facilities all over
the world, points to the need of a
strong American international COM
munications system. These experts
are for the most part former en-
ployees of American communica-
tions companies, principally the
telephone company. Their war
time experience and service In be-
half of the government has given
them a new outlook on communi-
cations policy.
While American equipment is un-
doubtedly the best in the world
we had visual evidence of that in
viewing British equipments and in
stallations in London and Malta
we are not in the first rank In
communications simply because we
do not have an integrated function
ing system of commercial communi-
cations.
There is ample evidence that
American commerce and business
has been and will continue to be at
a disadvantage simply because of
the lack of a proper communica-
tions system. Conversations with
American business men doing busi-
ness in Europe, Africa and parts of
Asia disclose that our industry is
greatly at disadvantage because
there Is not an integrated Ameri-
can system upon which they can
rely.
1t is clear to me that If unified
worldwide American communica-
tions system cannot be speedily
established, other steps will have
to be taken. 1t has Reen suggest
ed, for example, that the Army and
Navy systems, now virtually world
girdling and unquestionably the
finest in the world, be used at least
temporarily as basis for a world
wide system which would be under
American control and operating
for the best interests of American
diplomatic, commercial and strate-
gic needs. Advocates of such a
proposal point out that it is an
operating system now and that
some means could be devised
whereby it could be operated COM
mercially in the postwar world.
There Is ample evidence that
America must exercise Immediately
a fair, equitable but hard-headed
diplomatic policy for our own ad-
vantage all over the world. We
have spent millions for communi-
cations equipment installations on
foreign territories; we have spent
many more millions in building up
great airways transport system
all over the world and an intergral
part of that transport system is
the communications that go with
it and make it run. To lose all that,
either by yielding our hard-won
rights, or to give it away or junk
it, would be a colossal blunder for
our own interests and outrageously
unfair to our taxpayers.
l feel that our survey trip has
implemented my earlier view that
there can be no adequate freedom
of news in the world without an
effectively unified American COM
munications system. I am a firm
believer in the creed so ably ex-
pressed by Kent Cooper of the
Associated Press, Hugh Bailee Of
the United Press, and numerous
outstanding newspaper publishers
that freedom of news-the right to
send news everywhere and the
right to pick up news everywhere
without artificial restraints-would
be one of the greatest deterrents
to war. We shall not achieve that
goal by declarations in peace
treaties alone-it must be imple-
mented by vigorous and practical
policy of establishment Of a free,
strong, Independent American COM
munications system operating all
over the world.
I believe that it was the unani-
nous opinion of every member OF
our committee that Europe and the
Middle East is seething with eco
nomic and social unrest. Every
nation looks to America for aid,
counsel and encouragement. We
have the greatest opportunity in all
history to implement the idea of
free democratic government among
downtrodden, suffering, economic
ally destitute people. We must be
sensible, resolute, and practical In
what we do. We must have a
policy and we must stick to it. We
will always have trouble In the
world-and inevitably we will be
involved in these troubles-so long
as human beings raise cotton in
competition with us for a wage of
six cents to 30c a day of ID to 16
hours; when standards of living
are so low that the average dog
in any American household has bet
ter food and more adequate shelter
than millions of mon woman and