Show Unfriendly Countries I Encircling U. U S. S Knox Tell House Unit Stimson Says Nation Must Prepare To Fight Outside Hemisphere To Protect American Interests WASHINGTON April 15 INS INS Congressional Congressional committees investigating national defense Tuesday heard Secretary of Navy Knox warn that this country is being gradually encircled by nations unfriendly to it and Secretary of War Stimson assert that the U. U S S. S army must be trained to fight outside the western hemisphere to protect American interests Knox testifying before the house naval affairs committee declared that we now face the gravest crisis of the present war On the subject of the progress of the rearmament program both c cabinet binet officers made optimistic reports reports reports re re- re- re ports but Knox expressed belief that industrial stoppages growing out of labor disputes must cease if the program is to go into high gear He urged support of a bill sponsored sponsored sponsored spon spon- by thee the the house naval affairs committees committee's chairman Representative tive Vinson D. D Ga provide to-provide a day 30 cooling off period before strikes can be called to give legal I status statu to the defense mediation i board and to freeze open and closed shop labor contracts I Hits flits Racketeers I But there is one thing not covered covered covered cov cov- ered in the bill the secretary went on Some lab labor r racketeers are taking advantage of the defense defense defense de de- de- de program I think we would be wise if we made labor organizations take takeout takeout takeout out some kind of papers so they would be as responsible as employers employers em em- plo ers and there should be an annual accounting of every penny collected Both Knox and Stimson were exceedingly exceedingly exceedingly ex ex- grave in their views on the international picture and Knox particularly so You are dealing with an acute and difficult problem in trying to produce everything possible in the presence of the greatest crisis of this war he said I dont don't wish to be a scaremonger scaremonger- but we are in the middle of grave peril Sees Encirclement I see my country gradually being be- be being being be be- ing encircled and isolated by nations nations nations na na- na- na unfriendly to us I see the possibility of this country's being surrounded by nations which have never concealed a lack of ot sympathy sympathy sympathy sym sym- pathy for us You men are confronted with the greatest possible peril and you must help bring about a united people to meet this threat Stimson in his testimony assured assured assured as as- congress that progress of the huge rearmament drive is run- run on Page Pale Five Column Six Unfriendly Nations Encircling U. U S. S Sl Knox Know Warns House Group r Continued from Page One ning fling eight to 12 months ahead of the World war period Undersecretary of War Robert P. P Patterson following Stimson before before be be- fore the senate committee testified testified testified fied that troops have been equipped with the Garand rifle production of which is increasing satisfactorily He said that due to intelligent advance planning production of war materials is at atthe atthe atthe the threshold of effective mass production Describes Program He testified that as evidence of the army's advance planning it spent in 1937 for equipment equipment equipment equip equip- ment and facilities for production The ordnance department had accumulated in the arsenals surplus surplus surplus sur sur- plus machine tools for production of f critical ordnance requirements he said Over machines have recently been leased to manufacturers manufacturers manufacturers having ordnance supply con con- tracts This foresightedness has resulted in the saving of time in getting into production The statement can truthfully be made that the shelter clothing and rations provided for troops are the best the army has ever provided provided provided pro pro- vided he said Directly referring to the possibility possibility possibility of another American expeditionary expeditionary expeditionary ex ex- ex- ex force in discussing the complicated technique of modern modern modern mod mod- ern warfare Stimson said Furthermore our forces must be prepared for the possibilities of war in many and varied terrains terrains terrains ter ter- ter- ter rains it being quite uncertain in what part of North or South or Central America or even possibly other regions it ultimately may maybe maybe maybe be necessary to use them in the defense of this country and its possessions Stimson was highly tic optimistic regarding the final outcome of the defense program but he warned private industry that from this point on it has great responsibility responsibility responsibility and that the training of many successive installments of men may last as long as five years Asserting that by the middle I of the summer the army will be assembled housed and in the full course of its training and well on its way to being fully equipped Stimson said I think I am speaking in measured measured measured meas meas- language when I say that in inno inno inno no country in the world including our own has its military forces ever before been provided for forin forin forin in so brief a time and upon so adequate a scale for ministering to their necessities and com com- forts I Throughout his t testimony est i m 0 n y Stimson emphasized that during the World war the army purchased purchased purchased pur pur- chased a great deal of its equipment equipment equipment equip equip- ment from France and England and that the defense program as aswell aswell aswell well as the aid to Britain program program program pro pro- gram presents an initial effort for complete preparedness under pressure Comparing the speed of the armament and training programs with that of the World war war he said that bottlenecks first encountered encountered have been ironed out and that Today assuming existing P pr priorities ri are not altered w we e shall in spite of the greater complexity of modern weapons do the job from eight months to one year faster than we were doing it then |