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Candor Vital To Defense Confidence Citizens May Vote Republican Congress As Watchdog By DAVID LAWRENCE. Uneasy over events abroad, the entire Washington situation is crys tallizing rapidly into one of great concern lest America be caught nap ping in me swiftly develop ing maelstrom of world war en tanglements. President Roosevelt is on the defensive politically. Far from being an asset, the newly created emer gency has al ready become a liability to the administrati o n. The Republican party will short David Lawrence. ly ask the American people to change the national administration on the grounds of incompetence, just as the British turned out Prime Minister Chamberlain. The particular grievance which is shaping up as the basis for an in tense battle in the presidential cam paign is the unpreparedness of America at perhaps the gravest crisis that has come in a century in world affairs. Mr. Roosevelt’s speech last Sunday night alienated supporters rather than helped him. This is because when a President sees fit to discuss defense details and combines in his statement airplanes available and those “on order” so that the public cannot tell the difference, it is a sign that political considerations are guiding national policy rather than frank presentations of weaknesses. Candor Needed for Confidence. Most people. wrill go along with the administration when it ceases to play politics and indulge in adroit maneuvers based on the theory that peace-time methods will be suf ficient to meet criticism. The truth is action and candor alone wrill bring confidence. The latest step—the appointment of a seven-man council of defense in an advisory capacity—can only bring from American businessmen sighs of regret and poignant disappoint ment that the administration in Washington doesn't know its selec tions are recognized as window dressing. To put captains of in dustry into the defense council with out giving them any authority to act and at the same time to put in that same defense council the very men Who have been baiting business for the last several years is not to cre ate or build confidence among the industrial men of the country. The President has made a grievous mis take. Tne lactones ana tneir manage ments will co-operate to the ut most—their patriotism will take care of that—but Industry cannot be sanguine about reaching the goal efficient production. It may well be asked why it is that Germany—a bankrupt nation with a meager sup ply of gold—can build the biggest defense system the world has ever known. The reason is that the Nazis didn't use gold or money, but labor. A nation can get along without money if it can get enforced labor. No Hope in Blame. In France, the defense mechanism fell down because the left wing broke up armament production with laws providing a 40-hour week while German workers toiled 60 or more hours a week. America cannot build an adequate defense unless some of the left-wing legislation now on the statute books is modified so as to accelerate production in the defense Industries. The President refuses to accept that view. He may prefer to take responsibility for a failure of America to get enough airplanes for defense, but it may be too late some day to fix responsibility on any one man, just as it is today in France and Britain. Nobody today can repair the mistakes made two and three years ago by an incom petent administration in Britain and France. In America, where criticism is un restricted. the people may not wish to give the Roosevelt administration any more opportunities to bungle the defense program. They may demand an instant change in tactics or else there may be a change at the polls. In many respects it is a fortunate coincidence that a presi dential campaign is at hand because the people will have a chance to vote on whether the defense record of the present administration should be upheld or repudiated at the polls. G. O. P. Congress May Watch. Also, whether or not the President is re-elected may become a question distinct from the necessity of elect ing a Republican majority in both houses, because evidently the mem bers of the President's own party are too subservient to his wishes to take care of the national security of the people of the United States by assuring efficient production. When the President says there is no emergency which requires modifica tion of existing labor laws, he is committing America to an effort to build up its defense not only at high labor costs, but on a basis that can not possibly give America the planes, the tanks, the battleships and the weapons of war needed at the earli est passible moment to protect the TOWN & COUNTRY MOTORS, me. ANNOUNCES UNUSUAL HOLIDAY TRADE ALLOWANCE FOR YOUR CAR ON A NEW 1940 LINCOLN 1 0 t iykm«V".y #f ZEPHYR ■■ Smooth'Qui#t psw*r UCDMIDV’ Q An Bi* c°r 'Mtum InLltuUIII O A Low Pr,e* ' 1636 Conn. Ave. Mich. 3524 1707 14th St. N.W. Mich. 6900 Dealers and Distributors The Capital Parade President Reported Steeled for Cabinet Shuffle; Politics Seen in Requests for Defense By JOSEPH ALSOP and ROBERT KINTNER. If ordinarily good authorities may be relied on, the President has at last steeled himself for the inevitably unpleasant but vitally important task of reorganizing his cabinet. Slated to go are1 Secretary of War Woodring, Secretary of the Navy Edison and Secretary of Labor Perkins. Edison's retirement has been long anticipated, since he is running for Governor of New Jersey under the sponsorship of Boss Prank Hague. Woodring and Miss Perkins, however, will have to be pried out of their jobs by main force. Although Miss Perkins has for some time been unable to deal with either of the warring labor factions, she has been saved to date by her old and close friendship with the Roosevelt family as tor woodring, he has made no secret of his intention, if dismissed, to make as much political trouble as possible. Judging from his record while in the cabinet, this is not an entirely empty threat. Perhaps in the end the Presi dent’s determination to improve his , cabinet will again fade away, as it ' has in the past. If it does not, the names currently being mentioned for the three big jobs are: For the Navy, LET’EM COME/ uoi. trank Knox, if he will take it, or some one like Admiral William Leahy; for the Army, Mayor F. H. La Guardia, or possibly Secretary of the Interior Ickes, and for the Labor Department, some such enlightened Independent as Dean William Lloyd Garrison of the Wisconsin Law School. Any Changes Better These names, of course, are only being bandied about. The War Department quite obviously presents the most complex problem. Assist ant Secretary of War Johnson might be elevated to the secretaryship, if it were not virtually certain that Woodring, w'ho is reported to dislike Johnson, would flatly refuse to resign to make a place for him. Woodring may even attempt to make Johnson's retirement a condition of his own. The inclusion of Harold Ickes among the candidates for Woodring’s job will probably cause surprise, but he has considerable backing, from Secre tary of the Treasury Morgenthau, among others, it is reported. Indeed his candidacy is so well advanced that it is already said Undersecretary of the Interior Alvin Wirtz will be moved up a rung if Ickes is transferred to the War Department. At any rate it is clear that whatever changes the President makes, they are almost certain to be for the better. Prettified Guns Discussion of these cabinet changes is always closed with the surmise that if they are made at all, they will be made "before the convention.” And this, unfortunately, is only another sign of the continuing omni presence of politics in the Washington atmosphere. If any proof were needed that politics have not yet been forgotten, it was to be found in the Presidents speech on Sunday night. Even to the President's most faithful admirers within the administration itself, the speech was a bitter disappointment. Many of the details of the presentation of the national defense situation strangely prettified an extremely dark picture. For example, the President spoke of "1,700 modern anti-aircraft” guns as though the existing anti-aircraft guns were modem and as though 1,700 would be enough. Actually, all but one of the existing guns are of the 75-millimeter type whose range the war experience has proved too short by around 5.000 feet, and although some of the better 90-millimeter guns are on order, the Army needs nearly 10 times 1,700 for adequate national defense. There were other aspects of the speech, such as the recrimination and the absence of any rally cry to national unity, which were discourag ing. But from a practical stand point, the discussion of the state of our defenses was the worst feature. The President was quite accurate in his picture of the great defense im provements already accomplished by his administration. He omitted to say, however, that even with these improvements we are still in a very poor way. There was some hope in his promise to ask for additional defense annroDriations. above the present insufficient requests, if the European situation disintegrates into final tragedy. I}ut even the most completely loyal men in his own admin istration are wandering why the President does not ask now. November Election? And here jgain, in this matter of the defense requests, one catches the savor of politics. The official White House explanation of the small ness of the defense requests to date is that no more money can be spent before congressional session next January. It is true that it may be impossible to pay more money into manufacturers’ hands for finished goods. But it is equally true that the maximum contracts cannot be let without maximum appropriations, and hiaximum production speed can not be attained without maximum contracts. It is difficult to see any reason but the November election for deferring the much-needed maxi mum appropriations for eight months. (Released by the North American Newspaper Alliance. Inc.) United States against any or all attacks. Public opinion is something pow erful enough to affect a President in times of crisis, especially when it manifests itself plainly. The trou ble is that the facts have been camouflaged or glossed over. The people do not know how inadequate are our national defenses to meet j the kind of emergencies that may arise. They are willing, however, to let bygones be bygones and forget the past if there is any sign that the new policies will assure the at tainment of the desired result. It is because the administration prefers to play politics with national de fense and refuses to open up the governmental power to all classes that business and industry will find itself pervaded with a sense of dis appointment where there should be eagerness and enthusiasm and a high morale. (Reproduction Rights Reserved.) n * 4 SAVE UP TO 40% Eleven yean ago Star Carpet Work* presented to Washingtonians High est Quality Rug Cleaning Servlee at a great taring. Tou can’t get better eervice at any price. J150 tsu s2'75 Was had . • ORIENTAL RUGS Washtd and Rapairad by Exparta ALL RUGS FULLY INSURED FIREPROOF STORAGE l Call MICH. 2220~ Star CARPET WORKS 3316-3318 P Straat N.W Dutch to Continue Fight On Side of Allies Bv the Associated Press. LONDON, May 29.—A spokesman for the Dutch government in exile in London said last night the capit ulation of the King of the Belgians would make no difference in the decision of the Dutch government to continue fighting with all the forces at its disposal at the side of the Allies. The government here, under Queen Wilhelmina, still directs the Dutch Navy and Holland's rich possessions in the East and West Indies. Jumbo Cone A only |0{ .# 28 fVAVO^S f'">r y HOWARD JoHmonj 3 \cecntkH SWOV AVO mstavrakts 3900 PENNSYLVANIA AVE. Si, WASHINGTON. M. ARLINGTON. VA. FAWFAX.VA. ^ ^UtWHIWUS(HtlumiE«JtIlHBCHIW«AUHl»» ,<j| iTHE opinions of the writers on this page are their own, not necessarily The Star’s. Such opinions are presented in The Star’s effort to give all sides of questions of interest to its readers, although such opinions may be contradictory among themselves and directly opposed to The Star’s. Washington Observations War to Pale Political Conventions, With National Security Seen as Major Issue By FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. It is almost sacrilegious at such a moment to write about an American presidential campaign, but, war or no war, the show must go on. The uonstuuuon or dains it, the pol iticians will it, and the country is about to suffer it. Less than a month hence the quadrennial tur moil will be upon us, when the Republican con vention assem bles at Philadel-, p h i a. Three weeks later, at Chicago, the Democrats will go through the Frederic William Wile. same motions. With Western Eu rope a shambles, and civilization’s future at stake, the campaign will open in an atmosphere of sad unreality. Whether convention events will even contrive to break onto front pages seems at this hour problemat ical, nationally vital as their outcome will be. Certainly Philadelphia and Chicago will not absorb popular interest to the customary degree. People will be keen to know who is to be the Republican nominee. Curiosity will be even livelier as to Roosevelt’s decision about a third term. But everything else —plat forms, demonstrations, speeches, maneuverings and the other clap trappings of conventions—this time is the smallest of potatoes. The county will have little interest in them. War to Dominate All. Naturally, the war will dominate \ both Republican and Democratic! proceedings. The conventions take place against a background like that of 1916. Twenty-four years ago the pc.rties convened in the midst of another great European conflagra tion. America’s attitude v as the paramount issue, framed by the Democratic slogan that Woodrow Wilson had "kept us out of war” and deserved re-election for that achievement. This time the war presents itself in entirely different guise. It is not a question of the incumbent President having "kept us out of war,” but whether condi tions will permit us to remain at peace. Preparedness for the grim possibility that we shall sooner or later have to fight in self-defense overshadows all other considerations. The likelihood is strong that na tional security therefore may be the issue over which the parties will lock horns. If Roosevelt is drafted at Chicago, it will be on the theory that his re-election is indispensable and that his record on national de fense is unassailable. The Demo crats are without fear on that score. Willkie Stock Rises. If the O. O. P. makes prepared ness the issue and indicts Roosevelt for not having the United States in better defensive shape after seven years’ vast Army and Navy expendi ture, many Republicans feel Wendell L. Willkie is their logical candidate. Despite the utilities taint which ; handicaps him. no one challenges | Willkie’s attainments as an indus 1 trial organizer. And industrial or | ganization is the bone and sinew of j our emergency defense needs. Will kie£ supporters therefore call him i the man of the hour. They contend that no other Republican approxi | mates what the president of Com ! monwealth & Southern has to offer i America at this crisis. There is talk of a Willkie and j Dewey ticket. Its projectors stress j that it would link traditionally piv | otal Indiana and New York, assum I ing that Willkie, who maintains a farm domicile in his native Hoosier State, would run as an Indianan. His candidacy would dramatize in dustrial preparedness, while Dewey would give the ticket the great pop ular strength the young district at torney commands in New York, plus demonstrated vote-getting qualities elsewhere. Such speculation leaves out of account whether Dewey, with his head start for the presidential nomination, would accept second place behind a dark horse interloper like Willkie. * * * * Willkie’s Creed. Willkie has broadly indorsed Roosevelt’s foreign policy, but is an uncompromising foe of the new Deal economic creed. He as unqualifiedly opposes the third term. Recently he wrote that F. D. R. should be renominated because the country would then have a chance not only to maintain the anti-third term tradition, but pronounce “a clean cut verdict” against New Deal busi ness philosophy Whether “Gov ernment control over the individual shall be extended and intensified” was declared by Willkie “the most vital issue of the coming campaign.” As that was before the war barged overwhelmingly into the national picture, it may be that his view as to the vital issue has undergone some revision. Speaking at Kansas City last week, Willkie stressed the urgency of national defense, but said “the basic factor in it Is a sound economic system.” * * * * Youth Zealots Rebuked. Nothing more salutary or timely has aroused national notice in this anxious hour than recent utterances by Dr. Archibald MacLeish and Mrs. Roosevelt on subjects connected with the youth movement's relationship to war. The new head of the Library of Congress, addressing the Adult Education Association, in sub stance apologized for the cult of rabid anti-war books, plays and pleas which deluged America after the World War and which is responsible for the wrong-thinking which per meates a large section of the present generation of American young peo ple respecting their patriotic obliga tions. Dr. MacLeish apparently now holds that his own generation of writers and thinkers is considerably to blame for the widely prevalent state of moral disarmament among our youth. Mrs. Roosevelt spoke in even franker vein this week before the New York Youth Congress, w-hich she accused to its face of making a tragic mistake in opposing defense measures. In adopting resolutions on such subjects, the President's wife declared, youth is talking about something it cannot possibly hope to understand. Just before Mrs. Roosevelt addressed the congress, it adopted a resolution condemning the emergency defense program. The meeting gave a wild ovation to Rep resentative Marcantonio. American Labor party, of New York, who cast the only vote in Congress against the re-armament program. Education Office Aide To Take Publishing Post J. Morris Jones, radio script editor for the Radio Division of the United States Office of Education, will re sign Saturday to head the editorial staff of the Quarrie Corp., pub lishers. A native of Wales, Mr. Jones came here in 1923 and became a citizen in 1929. He served with the British armed forces during the World War. For 15 years he was an editor for textbook publishers and he served eight years as editor of the School Executive. He has been script editor for the Federal office since July, 1939. Leopold's Surrender Military Writer Suggests Judgment Be Reserved Until Fact^Are Known By MAJ. GEORGE FIELDING ELIOT. It is much too early for any one who has been a soldier to attempt to pass judgment on the surrender of the Belgium Army by its com mander in chief, King Leopold. The hysteria and recriminations may be left to others while some examina tion is given to the possible cause of the Belgium surrender. The position of the Belgian front line on the night of May 27 is un certain. Some accounts have it that the Belgians were trying to hold the line of the River Lys from Menin to Ghent, with the British on their right stretching south or a little east of south in front of Lille. This Belgian front, if correctly stated, would be roughly 60 to 65 miles in length, disregarding the innumerable windings of the river. In the defense of a river line it is generally con sidered that a division (triangular type, as in the Belgian Army) can defend a front of 10 to 14 miles. This is at full strength, of course. r.necuve strength a Question. The Belgians may have had as many as 18 (infantry) divisions, assuming that the six second-line divisions had been successfully mobilized. But the Belgian Army has been fighting hard, its effectives must have been greatly reduced, and so we cannot assume that the Bel gians had an effective strength of much more than half the original number—say, the equivalent of 8 to 10 divisions. This was barely enough to defend Lys front, and to leave a reserve of two or three divi sions under the hand of the com mander In chief. However, readers of these articles will have noted during the last few days the growing anxiety which I have been expressing about the state of affairs on the Belgian left. Ghent is by no means a secure bastion for that flank. North of Ghent there is a considerable open space between the city and the Scheldt Estuary, through which, if unopposed, the Germans could push from Antwerp. If the Belgians had to extend their lines to cover this, they were being extended too far. If not, they were in imminent danger of envelopment. It is at Ghent that the Rivers Lys and Scheldt join: hence, if the Ger mans gained full possession of Ghent (both the act and the date are uncertain), they turned not only the Scheldt line, but also that of the Lys. The Scheldt runs generally south from Ghent, the Lys more to the west of south. Thus even if Ghent held and the Belgians pivoted their right back to the Lys as the Germans crossed the Scheldt at Audenarde and Tour nai, a German advance to the Lys in the vicinity of Menin would drive forward a re-entrant angle into the allied line and a crossing of the Lys north of Menin would threaten to cut off the Belgian right (with the Belgian Army overextended for any sort of fighting except the de fense of a river line), while their left may well have been threatened by a German envleoping movement sweeping through or around Ghent. Endangered ir Wheeling. One report of May 27 stated that the Belgian ldft flank rested "on the North Sea"—at what point was not stated. But since the loss of the Lys deprived the Belgians of any good natural obstacle, short of the Yser Canal, It is plain that if the Belgians were endeavoring to wheel back their left flank from Ghent to the sea, they must still have been in grave danger of being outflanked by the fast-moving Ger mans, and even had they completed their wheel, there must have been considerable intervals between divi sions and a desperate shortage of men to hold the new front without the protection of the river. mnauy, we must consider tneir supply situation. Several days ago I pointed out that for rifles and machine guns the Beligan caliber Is the 7.65 millimeter Mauser, used by no other European army save the Turkish. It will be recalled that in their retreat from Antwerp during the last war the Belgian Army lost a great part of its ammunition re serves and had thereafter to use in great part British and French weapons, since the Allied countries could not supply the Belgian am munition. A similar situation may well have prevailed in this cam paign—a shortgage of ammunition, accentuated by German air attacks on depots, dumps and trains, which could not be made good by the Allies—neither the British .303 Lee Enfield nor the French 3-millimeter Lebel cartridge could be chambered by the Belgian small arms. May Have Appeared Hopeless. All this is set forth in order to indicate the nature of the difficulties with which the Belgian high com mand may have found itself con fronted. Fighting in a country jammed with refugees, who blocked the roads and disorganized and im peded all movement to an increasing extent as the space available con tracted, continually under heavy attack from the front and one or both flanks as well as from the air, the Belgian Army, which had up to this point given so fine an account of itself, may well have been in a situation where further resistance may have been, or at least may have seemed to a young King unhardened in war and shaken by the horrors all about him, utterly hopeless. I should not, however, like to be understood as saying that the mili tary situation of the Belgian Army was in fact hopeless at the time of its surrender. I am merely pointing out what may well have beet: the case. We do not know whether it was or not. Judgment should be suspended until we have further in ' formation. Indicentally, there are i some hints which may or may not prove justified that not all Belgian I units have obeyed the King s com i niand to lay down their arms, j (Copyright. 1040, New York Tribune, Inc.) Presbyterians Will List Conscientious Objectors By the Associated Press. ROCHESTER, N. Y„ May 29.—The 152d General Assembly of the Pres | byterian Church In the United States prepared to adjourn today after approving a proposal permit ting conscientious objectors to war I to file their positions with the stated j cleric. ! The resolution, milder than those rejected earlier, also provides that the assembly “record Its purpose to consult with the United States Gov ernment about establishing the status of Presbyterian conscientious objectors before the law." It calls for a special committee “to collaborate with other denomina tions in consulting with • • • the Government to this ned.” The assembly referred to the Com mittee on Bills and Overtures a motion to petition the President and Congress to "lend the Nation's moral and economic weight against the aggressor in the present con flict.” It also reaffirmed “unqualified op position to anti-Semitism in any form.” and “our purpose to continue our effort to secure aid for refugees.” 4 DAYS ONLY BIGGEST; LOBSTER VALUE IN TOWN} WHOLE LIVE MAINE LOBSTER, HOT OR COLD— I FrMh ShlpMtnt* Dally Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday CERES t,M» I3M E (treat POMONA Cafeteria HOT E (treat EARLE Raataaraat j nth and E (treats »■ ■ ——■ — Taxes Hint New Fiscal Realism Congress Catches Up With Public on Defense Sentiment By CHARLES G. ROSS. The sudden decision of the Presi dent and Congressional leaders to come to immediate grips with the problem of new taxes to meet the Charles fi. Ross. , new costs ox de fense deserves applause. Prom all In dications the country is ready and willing to assume what ’ ever burden may be required to assure the na tional safety. It is realization of this fact that is now prompting the heads of the Government to call for a tax bill in this, an election year. The Gov ernment has waked up to the fact that the country has no desire to be coddled. In respect to taxes, the thinking of the country, as shown by edi torial expressions, polls of public sentiment, letters to Congressmen, has forged ahead of Congress, the same way that it did in the matter of prohibition. It was suggested in this space the other day that Congress should start forthwith on the preparation of a new tax measure, with a view to final action in January, in time for the new rates to be applied to the March 15 collections on 1940 income. In view- of the nearness of the two national conventions and the eager ness of Congressmen to get into the campaign, this appeared to be the most that could be hoped for. Per haps it still is. It was not made clear yesterday whether enactment of the proposed new taxes would be completed at this session. But if Congress will buckle down and vote defense taxes before adjournment of this session, so much the better. Must Raise Debt Limit. In any case the $45,000,000,000 debt limit will have to be raised, and there is no reason for delaying this part of the program. It has long been part of the text book of politics that a tax increase should not be voted in an election year. This year, however, is one in which the usual political max ims—or many of them—are of no account. As there is no reason in good government why the tax ques tion should not be settled at once, so the country may know its pros pective liability as soon as possible, so there is no good reason even in politics. Both Democrats and Republicans have voted whole-heartedly for the defense program. There is no issue between the parties on that score, j Likewise, the taxation issue this year is cancelled out by the national 1 emergency. The urgent necessity | for higher taxes is present; it is recognized by both parties as a necessity that has got to be faced sooner or later. In the present realistic mood of the country, there can be no political gain or loss to either party from a square facing of the financial facts, however un pleasant they may be, without de lay. Stalling May Bring Reaction. To the contrary. It appears that If any political issue arises out of the tax question at this time, it will be an issue due to the stalling tactics of one party or the other. Until the Democratic leadership came out yesterday with a plan of action, the Republicans had the makings of a possible issue. In the House last week several of them worried the majority with a demand for action at this session. Now that the Demo crats have decided to carry the ball, the minority will have every right to make what political capital it can out of any retreat, and the Democrats, conversely, can demand that the voters rebuke obstruction ist tactics by the Republicans. That's the politics of the situation that has been created by the sudden decision of the Democratic leaders to catch up with the sentiment of the country. Until a day or so ago it was their disposition to do noth ing that might prevent adjourn ment by the middle of June. Mr. Roosevelt had presented his defense program • with no word as to the means of financing it, and the con gressional leaders w-ere looking for ward, in the customary eleciion year manner, to passing along the tax issue for final settlement in the next session. This plan has been upset. To what extent remains to be seen, but at least w'e shall see this session begin to tackle a prob lem that has been far too long put aside. Credit for Republicans. The change in tactics deserves to be bracketed w'ith the commenda tory way *in which Congress is pushing the defense program to speedy enactment. Whatever the reason for the change—and I think the prodding of the Republican House minority ought to oe given part of the credit for bringing it about—it augurs well for a new real - ism in dealing with the fiscal prob lems of the country. It is a change, moreover, that accords with the sound principle of putting our de fense expenditures, to the fullest practical extent, on a pay-as-you go basis. Unless all signs are at fault, this is the principle by which the coun try wants the Government to be guided. Miss Esther Woodward To Retire From Schools Miss Esther R. Woodward, 2*56 Twentieth street N.W., a teacher at Hine Junior High School for the last 17 years, plans to retire at the end of this term, after *2 years in the public school service. Miss Woodward was a member of the original faculty when the Junior high school was established in 1923. Prior to that time she had taught in the elementary schools for 25 years. Warner School to Move The Cynthia Warner School will move to 1500 Carroll avenue, Ta koma Park, Md., from its present location at 1405 Emerson street N.tfc, Mrs. Warner announced today. Mfp. Warner also announced plana,to operate a summer camp in the new location. sn ■ A