Show u r i s. s rt 5 From ro Defense to Offense n r i Is a T Tough h J Job b for U. U S. S tc 1 o Enemy Must Be e Kept From rom B Breaking Through 1 1 I While United Nations Build Up Overwhelming Overwhelming Over Over- L. L whelming Superiority N 1 By A l BAUKHAGE i t dC 1 r cats na ys a n Service 1343 II H Street N W Washington D. D C. C Mr President there has been a good deal of comment lately to the effect that the American people are complacent about the way the waris war waris waris is going Have you any comment sir There was quiet in the oval of of- fice The hundred or so men and anda a the three or four women representing represent represent- ing newspapers press associations radio networks and radio stations were quiet The President leaned h back lc rk nut put hj his cigarette with its long holder d r in i- i his hi- hi mouth u th and and it let hi his eyes wander upward toward the great seal of the United States on the ceiling of his office in the White House It was the day when the startling news that Singapore the Gibraltar of the East for the first time had felt the boot of the invader within its bastioned confines We Ve all realized that any comment the President might make would indirectly reflect the seriousness of the whole Far Eastern situation At last he answered speaking slowly slowly choosing choosing his words words and and clearly so that the rapidly moving pencils could get each word I cannot quote him directly because because because be be- cause that is forbidden He answered answered answered an an- that the complacency charge was partly just just but but that every day the people were becoming more realistic in their thinking He said that they had begun to realize that this is a world-encircling world war Machinery of Defense Must Be Built Up And so we were told from the highest highest highest high high- est source that we had learned already al already already al- al ready from the military who do not m. m mince c wo words s who do not in indulge in wishful thinking that America must be content to accept reverses must hum humbly ly accept the role of defense defense defense de de- on all fronts until we have built the machinery of offense It so happened th that t on the very day on which I heard the President speak these words I visited a tiny room in a cheap apartment house made over into offices A busy beehive beehive beehive bee bee- hive the lobby was crowded with men with brief cases I was reminded reminded reminded re re- minded of the hectic days of 1933 I when the Blue Eagle was spreading spreading spreading spread spread- ing its wings when American business business business busi busi- ness was getting its first taste of regulation at the hands of the Then the emergency had forced even the most individualistic to toss aside the demands of rugged indi indi- Today in the face of another emergency emergency emergency emer emer- gency business was once more facing facing facing fac fac- ing strict regulation The men I saw in the lobby of this shabby building were exporters seeking licenses li licenses li- li censes from the Board of Economic Warfare for Warfare for not a dollars dollar's worth of goods can leave this country now if the BEW V do doesn't want it to But this is only one small function function function tion of the board It has a hundred facets And unlike our armies and our navy today it is waging offensive offensive offensive offen offen- sive warfare It has launched a great offensive on the economic economic front To look over the boards board's activities in a single day you might see listed projects to build a railroad in a foreign foreign foreign for for- eign country to w weigh to the last ounce some strategic material that thata a foreign country produces to survey survey survey sur sur- vey in m accurate figures just how much of a certain product may be spared from Americas America's own supply s tn to turn nv over r tn to another r r count in in n n rY return for some valuable commodity commod commod- ity or service that we need to further further further fur fur- ther our war effort Or again there might be a project to block the sources from which one of the enemy powers is replenishing its own supply Argentina Argentina- An Example For example The United States needs the operation co-operation of Argentina a country upon which the Nazis have I lavished every favor possible upon which they have used to the limit the persuasive power and dire I I threats of Herr Goebbels The purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose i is to keep a close relationship between the man who pulls the strings in Buenos Aires and the men who direct the destinies of the Reich Before war made an omelet of the worlds world's s trade Argentina bought from America 6 per cent of all the steel she imported Much of the u other 94 per cent came from the Axis ACis Now virtually all of the supply supply supply sup sup- ply of this essential material is cut cutoff cutoff cutoff off except what the United States can spare from the terrific demands our shipyards and arsenals are making But without steel Argentinas Argentina's wheels would cease to run public utilities would disintegrate the country country country coun coun- try would be an easy prey to any subversive influence And so with witha a finely sharpened pencil the experts in the BEW find some steel recommend recommend mend to the War Var Production board that it be spared for the Argentine Another example We need rub rub- ber There are plenty of rubber trees in South America Americ We can make some synthetic rubber in our laboratories but we need natural rubber to mix with it It takes more than money to get rubber out of those trees deep in the jungles of the Amazon And imagination has been used Imagination to realize that in order to get the labor to harvest the rubber rubber rub rub- ber the starved half sickly Indians Indians Indi Indi- ans who provide this labor must be given better food healthier surroundings surroundings surroundings sur sur- conditions which will make them and others want to work I to earn the money The things which they can buy with the wages they earn must be made available And so hundreds of mosquito chasers chasers chasers chas chas- ers are already working to remove the malarial mosquito that makes life hazardous in the rubber jungles Experts to help start dairy farms to toI I provide vitamin-giving vitamin milk to buildup build buildup I up the weakened bodies are being dispatched to South America Buy Buy Defense Bonds Bonds- Social Conditions In Washington The war has crea created ted many serious social conditions in inV V Washington hi gt But one situation which few have noticed and which threatened for a time a minor revolution I think I Ican Ican Ican can predict will shortly be greatly ameliorated This is the tale and its it's a bushy one War Var required certain building operations operations operations op op- op- op on the White House grounds Among other things things the the only one which I can discuss freely because of the censorship was censorship was the construction construction construction tion of a little building which looked like a soft drink stand where the shivering detectives who help the extra extra extra ex ex- ex- ex tra police who guard the great iron irongate irongate irongate gate to the presidential grounds can warm themselves But there were other more expansive undertakings This construction considerably hampered hampered hampered ham ham- the activities of White House visitors Also White House residents resi resi- dents One of the oldest retainers on this ancient estate is a trusted friend of mine head of a rather flighty clan but himself a very responsible patriarch patriarch patriarch patri patri- arch who has given me many an anun un TY T st tn p UJ ory He is the Old Gray Squirrel who lives in the Elm He with most of his clan was virtually virtually virtually vir vir- vir- vir dispossessed while the construction construction construction con con- work I mentioned or rather rath rath- er I am not allowed to mention went on Another old resident who lives lives' or rather pursues his business just outside the White House fence and with whom the Old Gray Squirrel has a very close working arrangement arrangement arrange arrange- ment had to move too He is Steve Steve runs a peanut stand You may see the connection Steve moved across Pennsylvania avenue to Lafayette park Pennsylvania The Old Old Gray Squirrel and his family fol i lowed J n Then trouble began For the Old Old Gray Squirrel is a snob He doesn't mix with common squirrels and Lafayette Lafayette Lafayette La La- fayette park is full of them They dont don't understand White House pro pro- tocol They would push up to the head of the line and try to steal peanuts peanuts peanuts pea pea- nuts from the donors donor's hand right out of the Old Gray Squirrels Squirrel's mouth This made trouble For some days I thought murder would be committed Mayhem was In fact one of the Lafayette crowds has lost his brush a clean but undignified undignified un un- dignified operation although too close for comfort or beauty But fortunately the workmen on the White House lawn have gone now Soon Steve will take up his his' ancient post Already the Old Gray Squirrel is scurrying back and forth across Pennsylvania avenue removing removing removing ing the nuts he had carefully interred interred interred in in- in the park to a safer and more exclusive burial place Revolution Revolution Revolution Revo Revo- lution has ha's been averted I II I |