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Show Pershing Would Aid British General John J. Pershing has advised that the United States safeguard its own freedom by making available to the British or Canadian governments at least fifty overage destroyers. Warning that tomorrow might be too late, the Commander-in-Chief of our World War armies, insisted that we "shall be failing ; in our duty to America" if we fail to "help save the British fleet during the next few weeks and months." j "More than half the world is ruled by men who despise the American idea and have sworn to destroy it," says the General, who adds that "only the British are left to defend democracy and liberty in Europe." Gen. Pershing's plea is not based bas-ed upon any desire to help Great Britain but upon the idea that "by sending help to the British" we can "still hope to keep war on the other side of the Atlantic ocean." He solemnly warns that "tomorrow may be forever too late to keep war from the Americas. Today may be the last time when by measures short of war we can still prevent war." He disabuses Americans of the idea that "another experitlonary force" may set sail for Europe assuring them that "no one is considering it" and adds his opinion that "it would be absolute folly." The gist of his argument is that the time needed to build our own defenses "may be lengthened if we have the courage to make the small but important contribution which is still within our power toward the sustaining of the British defense." We have "an immense reserve of destroyers left over from the other war, and in a few months the British will be completing a large number of destroyers of their own. The most critical lime," he says, "is the next few weeks and months. If there is anything we can do to help save the British I loot during that lime, we snail Tailing in our duly to Anv' we do not do it." |