OCR Text |
Show S 'fd HVGH S. Washington, D. C. WHY WE MUST STAY OUT Apart from emotion, there are three compelling reasons why we should now stay out of war. (1) We not only have nothing to put in but due to criminal neglects, we are defenseless de-fenseless on our own shores. (2) Our great need is time to prepare our defense and, on all the facts, and the opinion of all competent experts, we could have from 18 months to three years if we do not invite every danger dan-ger we fear and rush headlong into e situation we are now totally unable un-able to handle. (3) If we stay out of this thing and become strong, we shall have a voice in the outcome. If we go in, by our present weakness weak-ness foredoomed to defeat, we shall just be another Hitler trophy "voe victis" woe to the vanquished. In the post World war "cordon sanitaire," France incited the little countries to threaten Germany on her promise of help and then neglected neg-lected to remain able to heln. On the same formula, Britain encouraged encour-aged Poland to resist on England's "guaranty" of assistance and was wholly unable to help. Similarly, for domestic politics, we are holding hold-ing out false hopes to England and France and have incited them to war. All those small nations are gone nine of them. France and England are responsible. France also is gone. England is going. We are repeating the same ghastly international immorality im-morality and suicide. For God's sake let's keep out at least long enough to get ready to get in. ISAIAH 1935-1940 For long this writer has insisted that Mussolini is a mess and recently re-cently predicted his June 10 ratting arid caUed it a "stab in the back of France." We have all finally awakened awak-ened to our own miserably inade- uic JJlLHUi ue- fenselessness of the allies. But all that is no excuse for flopping around like a beheaded hen. The administration admin-istration should have made it clear much earlier and more calmly. It knew but, for political reasons, was not frank. The very first issue of this column, col-umn, March 15, 1935, now reads like the Prophet Isaiah. It discussed the dumb inactivity of the allies, discussed dis-cussed what Hitler was preparing in rearmament with his excellent industries, and said in part: "Today the French army with its allies could march from one end of Europe to the other but not after the Germans rearm with modern equipment. Fully equipped, they would be a military nation far superior su-perior to the French and . . . on no provocation at all could bring down on the world a new 1914 or worse This mad move of Hitler's starts catastrophe on the way . he stops at nothing ethics, mercy or humanity and he certainly would not be stopped by a political boundary bound-ary or so slight a consideration as the peace of the world . . . With the vim, vigor and vivacity of a man whose house is threatened by a vast conflagration we should im- mprliotoK, ... . . . aUvlJ! Ior the mo bihzation of our wealth, property and industry as well as our manpower." man-power." That was written five years ago Although the disastrous future was then that clear and that avoidable, avoid-able, we and the allies did little I 1933' when this writer helped to persuade congress to author, au-thor, ample funds tQ mechanj2e and motorize the army, he has been clamoring-many times every year -about our complete military im-Potency im-Potency ln modern land and air nowPhTS rt trying t0 dramat ft" now bloodily proved helplessness of troops who do not have tiern agains those who have. "Smsi ynl in,V,ieW' mre than four on the h l,(W'le the allies- buffing on the bob-tailed flush of their sim lar defaults in defense, sough To prevent Hitler iv '. ,u.uSnl 10 STcSh ? Danzig and the of Poland tn' m 1116 dictatrship effect of P WT,ter Predic,ed th enect of the Russian development th,, HaC,rate (within 3 tu that Hitler would march seve ':CSS "on 1939 " uraes, on August 23, haps our 'fate areVh "?? Per- I . tatesmapV hell offlx ; ' WeLCeetfsta'nIy are - a -n&fr havetU eaasn(daa 31 Which e " 'east a Chinaman's chance." ' foT0riR'iGr place 1 blitzkrieg ;.orM Severy I able. This s a hmk advis- fore felt. When he ver b ! Sent we install a crew Th GS1- ; ' or four years KnZ' Cy are in ' -volutionoer'a f. hem out. We hPhe Can ct ' hem for one nr VC elccted ' -y appc6 Pc-.. a"d another io escape. "s' we have . I |