Show GENERAL HUGH HueH S. S JOHNSON Jour r. r J MU S. S Washington ton D D. D C. C DEFENSE FALLACIES The Pr President was right in saying laying that the American people are prepared prepared prepared pre pre- pared for any sacrifice for total de de- tense It should have b begun gun long ago But dancing a merry madrigal and tossing off oft billions like bay leaves I Isn't nt total defense Mr Roosevelt's futile solution for every problem from unemployment to agrIculture agriculture agriculture ag ag- ag- ag from business depression to defense is to ask congress for blank checks' checks for billions On the very face of this message def defense nse appropriations must have been wholly unplanned It takes or it should take much time and study to print blue-print and then undertake an industrial production progress of ot even But this is the Presidents President's own time table of what he has asked asked and and when January 1940 May 16 18 1940 May 31 1940 1940 July 10 1940 1940 Total Nobody is going to complain about what defense costs Nobody ought to complain About the belated awakening awakening awak awak- ening of our great American Dala Dala- I dier or or the sound diplomatic military military military mili mili- tary and naval strategy both of demonstrating demonstrating demonstrating dem dem- I that we Intend Immediately immediately immediately Immedi immedi- to make ourselves Invincible and of proceeding to do so But this roman candle jugglery with billions billions bil bil- bil lions Isn't going to fool anybody but the American people For or what Is this money to be spent For naval expansion for active and reserve equipment of ofa a aland land force of ot men and for airplanes all airplanes all to repel aggression against the United States or the Western hemisphere But we will not send our men to take part in European wars How about results from the billions billions billions bil bil- lions already authorized Excellent Excellent Excellent Excel lent lent progress Every week more and more Is being delivered That sounds exactly Jike the guns and munitions we have on hand or on order The trouble with every phase of ot this message melaie Is that It reveals nothing nothing noth noth- ing except a hint that there is no plan That the magnificent figures were picked out ot of the air and that actual progress Is too pulling piffling to be described any more definitely than thanIn thanIn thanin In the Dr Coue pollyanna abracadabra abracadabra abracadabra every day in every way I grow better and better Is there any military or naval opinion that we can or should prepare prepare prepare pre pre- pare to repel aggression anywhere on the Western hemisphere It is 11 not on record A realistic approach to our defense problem reveals that while we can and must become supreme and impregnable about as asfar asfar asfar far as the Equator with such strength as as' as would be bo a serious threat to any Incursions further south we cant can't underwrite all the weak undemocratic undemocratic un un- un- un democratic unfriendly Latin nations between the Equator and Cape Horn The strictly military problem does not require men and If it did it would be folly to provide facilities to equip them In short or or- der War changes equipment too fast If you gear a tool up to equip a million men In two or three years you can equip the next million in six months If you try to equip the first In so o short a time lime you risk mountains of ot obsolete equipment equipment equip equip- ment and acres of ot Idle plants A promise not to send Americans abroad doesn't mean anything if I your policy invites foreign war The American people should not be fooled into thinking that rearmament rearmament rearmament ment Is excellent It Is not It could not be It would be a miracle if we began to get balanced equipment equip ment in 18 months and this administration administration administration adminis adminis- is neither m ed equipped nor ted to produce industrial miracles PROTECT REFUGEES If It there are any effective legal restrictions preventing child chUd refugees ref rd- ogees 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 a marked seasonal rise In applications tor lor adoption around the gracious gracious gradous gra gra- cious dous Christmas season At Ai varying later periods the little darlings dont don't seem so desirable On this ground usually the institution institution institution that gave eave the child will take it back but what is going to happen hap pen en In a similar situation with these piteous fugitives Heaven knows we have such a terri terrific c burden in taking care of the millions ot of our own destitute that we are not making a very good job of It It and few if any of their children are being guaranteed a home But the plight of little children under bombing operations Is more than persuasive persuasive-It it is la compelling Many good and responsible people are offering to assume the financial and personal burden of receiving these kids But doesn't confidence In Inthe inthe the the hole hole scheme require provision stow now for that possibility |