The Charlotte News

Saturday, January 4, 1941

EDITORIAL

 

Site Ed. Note: Cash's assumption, common at the time, that a two-ocean navy could not be had by the United States alone until 1945, did not take into account "Rosie the Riveter," the thousands of hearty volunteers who, in the wake of Pearl Harbor, put down dishrags and picked up riveting guns and welding torches to build in record time the modular Liberty ships in the shipyards of Norfolk and Richmond, California. By the end of 1942, a pretty formidable navy had been cast afloat in both oceans for the U.S. By war's end 2,700 of these ships, built for carrying troops and supplies, had been built with the ultimate pace of one per day.

Perhaps one of the would-be Rosies nudged Cash into the thought, for five days later in "His Restraint", he suggested that such a build-up would be prompted if Hitler attacked the United States.

A Denial

Which Flies in the Face Of All the Evidence

In his column today, General Johnson complains bitterly that the arguments of the American First and No Foreign War groups are being grossly misrepresented. They all love Britain, he says, and know that it would be bad for us to have her go down. They are not in favor of appeasement. And they don't think we cannot be attacked.

All which is astounding news. At this moment there lies on our desk a propaganda release from America First, of which General Johnson is a member. It quotes General Robert E. Wood, chairman of the group and Johnson's chiefest pal, as saying:

"With an adequate defense establishment... we are impregnable to outside attack. The military evidence on that point is clear... He (Roosevelt) has refused even to explore what a negotiated peace might be like..."

General Wood quite clearly wants a "negotiated peace." Being no fool, he knows perfectly well that it can be had only on Hitler's terms, which will certainly include the installation of a pro-Nazi Government in London. He knows that means Nazi control of the British Navy and our isolation in a world dominated by Hitler.

He knows, but carefully does not say, that "an adequate defense establishment" in a Hitler-dominated world must begin, by definition, with a two-ocean navy--knows, but does not say, that it cannot be had before 1945. Yet he wants his "negotiated peace" right now. It is manifest, therefore, that the General doesn't believe there is the slightest danger of Hitler attacking us, or that he is willing to go to any length in appeasement.

Ironpants, having complained about misrepresentation, proceeds to some gross misrepresentation on his own account. The real issues, he says, are (1) shall we now engage in a two-ocean war with a one-ocean navy? and (2) shall we burden ourselves to finance Britain when the money is needed at home?

The first coolly ignores the existence of the British Navy. So long as it exists these shores are protected not by a one-ocean but a two-ocean navy. It is precisely because we want to preserve that status, keep the British Navy out of Nazi control and avoid facing a two-ocean attack with a one-ocean navy to defend us, that so many people feel it necessary to save Britain at any cost.

And as for finances, Ironpants very carefully avoids mentioning what it is going to cost to maintain, perhaps for centuries, "an adequate defense establishment" in the Nazi world--if we are allowed to create it in the first place.

 


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