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‘It bacomes expedient to her welfare in the future. If yo question my words now, I ask only that you read a history of the relationsh: detween the United States and England during the leet hundred and fifty’ _ years, and that you combine with this a re-reading of the pledges of ever: . ee ‘lasting -loyalty that took place between England and France less than two years ago, If you will do thie, I believe you will agree with me that we met ddpend upon = ourselves and ourselves only, for our security in the future. chet Nebel Agta eimai Ee me Now instead of following the lead of the interventionists, suppose we concentrate on our own defenses, as I have advocated, since long > before this war began. I have maintained thet if we attend properly to our own defense, no European or Asiatio power will dae to attack us; and that if. we attend properly to our own affaira, none will desire to. But suppose that the fears of the interventioniets come true, and we are attacked. Ia that case it would be our enemy, and not we, who would have to force a landing ona histile coast. It would be our enemy, and not we, who would have to. cae j maintain supply lines across the ocean against the harassment of our bombing plane ? our submarines, and our battleships. In that case, we could use our own avie- ee 4 tion to the utmost edventage, concentrating it within a few hours at any point *.° ; on our shores, and basing it on established and well-equipped air fields. an , If the British navy with its bases strung out from Alexandria to Scapa Fl. A Af that navy with Gibraltar and Malta to assist it, cannot remain within domb= t ing range of the European coast, then how can any navy, or any combination of i navies, orcas the ocean, and without # single base in this hemisphere, land an expeditionary force on American shores? at . i fe . Instead of reducing the value of the Atlantic and Pacific ocean: fron the standpoint of our security, aviation makes them more importent ‘than. -”. boa ever before. Air power practically removes the danger of attack by sea; and the ae oceans themselves prevent effective attatks by air. = ‘ - ears woe - Let us take advantage of this fact. Let us take advan! ge of | the changes that aircraft and this modern era bring to nations and to men, Let i : us use these changes to our advantage, and not permit them to be used against ~~ . us. They oan either strengthen our American independence, and add to the quality of our western civilization, or they oan take ue back into the endles wars and quarrels of the old world. The nation that makes use of these advan- teges will survive, and the nation which fsils to understand then is certain to fall. The choice is the test of America, and the way of life we have built up in this new world, : ots . woe _ We have the most perfect defensive position of any nation. . have highly developed industries, and an entire hemisphere full of natural ©.” resources. Here in America we have developed new standards of life anda?) 4 new civilization; and our forefathers fought for the right to do soe Our entire = . national tradition is based on independence. Shall we now give up the inde- ; . pendence we have won, and crusade abroad ina utopian attempt to force our, o-