Show Senator Wheeler Spouts NOrl Nonsense l s WHEELER of Montana one of the SENATOR J leaders of the senate Isolationist bloc who has been battling energetically ag against the selective se service training bill in the senate the theother theother theother other day challenged those senators who contend contend con con- tend there Is danger of attack on us to seek an Immediate declaration of war on Ger Ger- many He said Those men who stand here and say that Germany is going to attack us in three months or six siz months why months why dont don't they have havethe havethe havethe the courage to go to the people of the country and Leis declare war Its It's nonsense Well its it's nonsense all right but its it's Senator Wh Wheeler who is spouting nonsense and not those who warn of the danger this country faces laces in a world in turmoil In the first place Senator Wheeler is stretchIng stretching stretch stretch- Ing the facts when he accuses his foes In the senate of flatly predicting that Germany is goIng going go go- Ing to attack us in the near future The contention contention contention conten conten- tion is not that Germany is certain to attack attack the United States directly but rather that there is grave danger that Germany may attack us Indirectly by aggression military political or economic In the western hemisphere There is little likelihood of any direct invasion of this nation itself That would not be the typical nazi strategy They never move directly unless all indirect methods fall fail or unless by Indirection they have so softened the resistance and Impaired impaired impaired im Im- paired the defenses of the victim that conquest is comparatively easy In the second place there is a very big if attached to all predictions of German aggression aggression aggression sion in this hemisphere It is that the attack will come presuming Germany is victorious in Europe IF the United States is not prepared to meet and repel it That makes the question a lot different from what Senator Wheeler with his sophistry attempts attemptS attemptS' at at- tempts' tempts to make it appear If a German attack on this country were believed certain then by byall byall byall all means it would be the sensible thing to declare declare de de- clare war on Germany now But Senator Wheeler Wheel Wheel- er is arguing from a false premise The attack Is believed certain only under particular conditions con con- that that Britain is defeated and that our defensive strength is not greatly increased Those who argue for national defense want to avoid war and they believe we CAN avoid war if we are sufficiently strong to make war very risky business for any aggressor They believe sincerely that adequate American defence defense defense de de- fence preparation is the best insurance against war the best est guarantee of peace In the western west ern hemisphere that we can have |