Show 0 V af revl l C r washington the hysteria of war Is in the air it has been increasing in tempo and it war may throw us out f hysteria of t our sense ot of equilibrium as a nation unless we watch our step it is i indeed a time for all people to keep beep their sense of direction and to avoid unnecessary and dangerous acts of an inflammatory character the sinking of the american gunboat panay by the japanese in the yingtse river of china apparently has set fire to tinder because there have been outbursts of all sorts since that inexcusable incident of early december there can be excuse or apology by the japanese on end but neither excuse nor apology will satisfy most americans they feel properly that japan is trying to rub our collective noses into the ground and nearly every person wants to do something about a thing of that kind on the other hand I 1 am convinced that the answer lies in another direction it is to be found I 1 believe in exacting a promise from the japanese that they will cut out those tactics if their promises mean anything it will be better to accept them and hope that we may not be confronted with another such incident in any event there is plenty of 0 evidence that the majority of the american people desire to avoid war they will continue to cherish peace unless elements in our nation lead us in another direction by use rise of war propaganda I 1 include in those elements the government itself I 1 do so because the government by use of propaganda can come pretty close to leading the nation by the nose it if it so desires it can build up sentiment against the japanese until there is a white heat and a demand for vene vengeance ance I 1 believe president roosevelt is trying to avoid war at this juncture there is a basis for this belief in the fact that the department of state has withheld some of the facts about the panay sinking these facts as rumored are of a character that easily could tan fan flames of added hatred haired on this basis it appears at least that mr roosevelt is seeking to avoid ill considered conclusions by the nation but as was said by an earlier president the time to prepare for war is while the nation is at peace that is to say the nation must have its defenses solid substantial it must take nothing for granted in a world that is fraught with unrest and uncertainty racked by suspicion permeated to the very core with chicanery and scheming of alleged statesmen the smallest boy will not jump on another who will hit him on the chin it if the attack Is unjustified that is is human nature and human nature is about the same over the whole world A year ago I 1 wrote something in these columns in support of the presidents program for building up the army navy and air corps it seemed then to be wise it is certainly shown now to have been the proper course our nation is at least partially ready to strike back and the progress 1 thus made has been accomplished without the waste that characterized our movements in 1917 noting that I 1 said partially ready I 1 want to call attention here to one way in which we are not ready a condition in which we are a re quite vulnerable we have a great army structure on paper from it thearty th the earmy army can be expanded rapidly and successfully the air corps can be developed quickly the navy is being built up the whole program is one of defense in taking stock of the situation however ti oever one must give consideration to replace guns merits ments you can and men have all of the men and all of the ships needed but if the guns they use can not be replaced when they are worn out what good are they I 1 do not mean that we have no reserve we have a reserve but war takes its toll of guns as well as men guns are made of steel steel is made of manganese as well as iron manganese puts the starch in steel hardens it so that it is usable for such things as guns along with the million and one other items of tools and equipment that we have to have in our everyday life no substitute ever has been found tor for ft A the germans learned this to their sorrow back in 1918 they attempted to use a substitute their guns soon buckled their heavy artillery was useless thus we must look to our manga ense stores stores which might suddenly become nonexistent be cause 93 per cent of all that we use is imported international trade started our trend in the direction of ol 01 buying ore abroad where cheap la bor is employed secretary hulls policies by which reciprocal trade trad agreements are worked out have fin dished the job we find ourselves ii in a position therefore where wi we could be cut off overnight from our ou supply of a material necessity tor for defense this tragic condition exists even when we have vast untapped stores within our own borders and more in cuba 90 miles away from our shores it is true the bureau of mines tells me that our ore Is a lower grade than that imported from russia or from the gold coast oi of africa or from brazil it Is true moreover that american ore must be treated by a special process before it can be used it seems to me nevertheless that our nation ought to be made self sufficient where that can be done and present policies distinctly do not do that political and economic views prevent it let us examine this situation in more detail the great source of manganese at the moment is soviet russia fifty per cent ot of all we v e use is imported from russia it I 1 Is a tact fact that this is the finest manganese to he be found and it is a further fact that american steel companies sell vast quantities of steel to russia because they buy manganese there on the other hand I 1 be believe ile v e it is inevitable that ja japan P an and d russia 2 will have to fight it out sooner or later if they go to war there is not a chance that we can buy any manganese from that quarter it will be the long haul from africa or brazil thereafter and a long haul in wartime means grave dangers with brazil under a dictatorship none can foretell what would confront us in that direction now I 1 included cuba as a source of supply it is only because american capital cuba has persevered in shut out making available the cu cuban tan manganese deposit the cuban american manganese Mang anase corporation has expended large sums for establishing the beneficiation process on a permanent basis the bureau of mines tells me that corporation has succeeded but due to secretary hulls reciprocal trade policies even that company can hardly get into the american market you see secretary hull made a trade treaty with brazil that reduced the tariff duty by 50 per cent when that was done the reduction in duty immediately became available to all nations since we must treat all of them alike the treaty by secretary hull which was ap proved approved by president roosevelt therefore spelled death for the chances of development of the manganese mines within our own borders to show further how these reciprocal trade policies have ruined our own chances let me call attention to the fact that the government itself has developed an electrolytic process at the great bouller boulder dam that will make high grade manganese from the ore in this country so here we have a government owned project and a great reserve from cuba available and nothing can be done about it simply because they can not compete with the cheaper ore from abroad cheaper because of cheap dr forced labor and secretary hulls unexplainable cut in tariff duties our national policy always insisted on an american standard of living for americans that means higher wages it is a correct policy but why I 1 ask does secretary hull destroy a home industry on the one hand and provide for profits of foreigners on the other when we cling to a policy of the kind mentioned of immediate urgency however is a supply on hand congress passed legislation stockpile stock pile to provide for a N needed stock pile a reserve on hand under ow ownership p of the government itself that law provided for investment of which would acquire approximately tons of manganese the war department called for bids americans of course could not compete with fo foreigners r even the cuban company could not make an offer within reach something has held up the contract award howe however ver and there has been delay I 1 am fearful that some of our steel companies have urged war department specifications that would not permit americans to participate in the contract because ot of the low grade ore in this country but in any event the hull tariff reduction would hold our mines outside I 1 am all tor for that stockpile stock pile idea it would be one foundation stone in the wall of defense which I 1 believe the nation ought to have but that alone would not solve our general problem we can not continue forever with the present policies some time in the future there will be a war in which this nation will have a part there can be no doubt ol of that so while all of the various planning by the new deal goes on why not give thought to develop ment of 0 a defense as well as the more abundant life or protection ol of the underprivileged 0 western newspaper union |