Milford chronicle., 1948-03-26

England France, Holland, Belgium and Lux
emburg. Evidently, Congress Will agree to
provide all the money needed to strengthen
our services. While Mr. Truman minced no
words in opposing Russia, he nevertheless
insisted that 1--WE must be prepared to pay
the price of peace, or assuredly we shall pay
the price of war" He was well received by
Congress to whom he appealed for support.
He will have it!
THE COMMUNIST COUP D'ETAT in
CZechOslOvakia, coupled with Stalin's de-
mands for a defense" agreement with Fin
land and mounting tOtalitarian pressures in
France, Italy and other European nations,
has brought the international situation to
it's worst point since 1889. 1t is clear that
those who dislike and envy. us abroad re-
spect only one quality in a cOuntry-and that
quality is military strength. 1t is not war
mOngering to say that the United States
must maintain a defense establishment far
more effective than any we have ever had
in peacetime so long as the world remains
IN It's present. explosive state. That is SIM
ply insurance for our survival. According to
those who know best, all branches of our mil
itary forces, Army, Navy, Air Force and
Coast Guard alike, are in a dangerously
weak condition. We have sunk, in the space
Of about two years, from the greatest mill
tary power on earth to a third-rate military
power. This was only partially the result
of the postwar rehabilitation. The armed
services have been denied requested apprO-
priatiOns for research and development
which they consider absolutely vital if they
are to keep pace with the Soviet Union,
whose army is reported to be still at war
time strength. This has been done, of course
in the name of economy But while military
budgets have been cut, there has been the
most fragrant waste in other directions. AS
an example, no one can say that SOcialiZed
government power plants are necessary to
the nation-taXed, regulated private indus
try can provide the service at the lowest
practical cost. Yet the billions that we are
now spending to operate these plants, and to
build new ones, are far in excess of what
the armed forces want for basic research.
Those billions would help to make the differ
ence between progressive, prepared armed
force, and one which is going dOwnhill. The
proposed st. Lawrence Seaway is another
example of an incredibly costly public work
that, in the view of many experts, is not
needed and could not possibly justify itself
on economic grounds. And so are various
flood control and reclamation projects that.
in reality, are camOufaged form of public
power development which simply duplicates
existing, adequate facilitieas. This is not a
political matter. The national defense is the
hrst function of government, regardless of
what party is in power. And to say we can
not afford first rate military establishment
at time when we are wasting untold bill
lions, is to criminally mislead the people.
5000
THE UNPREDICTABLE President Tru-
man issued orders to Federal officials few
days ago, to reject "any subpoena or de-
mand" from Congress or the Courts for ma
terial in the loyalty program files. This or
der, he seeks to explain as being ain the in
terest of our own national security and well
tare" In other words he tells Congress and
the Courts to go way back and sit down.
which he has no right to do, as the Congress
and the Courts are not SUbOrdinates subject
to such drastic demand. A wave of strikes
is beginning to sweep across the country and
most Of these strikes are in plain defiance OF
the labor law passed few months ago by
congress- law that is very clear in seeking
to protect the rights of union labor workers
and employers, leaving to all groups full
rights OF protection from the courts of the
land. Again we find the South ASSERTING
States Rights" and the governors of states
hghtlng the nomination of their Democrat
president now in Office. There is a neal
crime wave in the National Capital CITY as
rough as the tough spots pull off in wild and
WNoolly parts of the Nation. Congress and
the President fight over tax reduction, for.
elgn affairs-and bushels of other plans anC
subjects. In short, the whole situation in the
National Capital is discOuraging-ev tC
the point OF rapidly forming conclusions that
another World War may be the outcome oil
our daily and nightly troubles with Stalir
and his Communists. The President, leading
members OF Congress and General Marshal
agree that the situation is very, very ser.
H2 IGuS: And when we look toward the United
Nations and the Nations of the World thai
believe in orderly and decent Government
we must face the fact, "the situation is very
very serious"