Show NOR GENERAL HUGH S JOHNSON U washington wag hington D 0 co DEFENSE FALLACIES the president was wa right in saying that tho the american people are prepared for any sacrifice for total defense bense it should have begun long ago but dancing a merry madrigal and tossing oft off billions like bay leaves total defense mr Roosevel ts futile solution tor for every problem from unemployment to agriculture ri from business depression to defense Is to ask congress lor for blank checks for billions on the very face fa cc of this message defense appropriations roust must have been wholly unplanned it takes or it should take much time and study to blueprint blue print and then undertake anti an industrial production progress of even but this Is tho the presidents own time tab table 0 of what he has asked and when january 1010 1040 may 10 1040 1940 may 31 1940 july 10 1940 total nobody Is going to complain about what defense costs nobody ought to complain about the belated awakening of our great american pala iala dier adler or the sound diplomatic military and naval strategy both of demonstrating on 1 s 1 that we intend immediately at e i y to make ourselves invincible and of proceeding to do so but this roman candle jugglery with billions going to fool anybody but the american people for what Is this money to bo be spent for naval expansion for active and reserve equipment of a land force of men and for airplanes a all 11 to repel aggression against the united states or the western we stern hemisphere but we will not send our men to take part in european wars how about results from the billions already authorized excellent progress every week more and more Is being delivered that sounds exactly like the guns and munitions wo we have on hand oron or on order the trouble with every phase of this message is that it reveals nothing except a hint that there is no plan that the magnificent figures were picked out of the air and that actual progress Is la too riffling piffling piff ling to be d described bed any more definitely than in the dr coue pollyanna abracadabra every day in every way I 1 grow better and better Is there any military or naval opinion that we can or should prepare to repel aggression anywhere on the western hemisphere it la Is not on record A realistic approach to our defense problem reveals that while we can and must beco become me supreme and impregnable about as I 1 far as the equator with such i strength as would be a serious threat i to any incursions further south we cant underwrite all the weak undemocratic unfriendly latin nations between the equator and cape horn the strictly military problem does docs not require men and if it did it would be tolly folly to provide facilities to equip chemin them in short order war changes equipment too fast if you gear a tool up to equip a million men in two erthree or three years you can equip the next million in six months if you try to equip the first in so short a ume time you risk mountains of obsolete equipment and acres of idle plants A promise not to send americans abroad mean anything if your policy invites foreign war the american people should not be fooled into thinking that rearmament is excellent it Is not it could not be it would be a miracle it if we began to get balanced equip ment in 18 months and this adminta Is neither manned equipped nor organized to produce industrial miracles 0 0 0 PROTECT REFUGEES if there are any effective agal restrictions preventing chud child refugees from england coming to homes offered them in america they ought to be removed there is a more cogent question some institutions for the care of homeless children have experienced expert e laced a marked seasonal rise in applications for adoption around the gracious christmas season at varying later periods the little darlings dont seem so desirable on this ground usually the institution that gave the child will ta take ke it back but what Is going to happen in a similar situation with these piteous fugitives heaven knows we have such a terrific burden in taking care ol at the millions of our own de destitute s that we are not making a ve very ry good job of lt it and few if any of their children are being guaranteed a home borne but the plight of little children under bombing operations is more than persuasive it is compelling many good and responsible people tire are offering to assume the financial and personal burden of receiving these kids but confidence lu iu the whole scheme require provision now tor for that possibility |