Aid to Russia

A Nazi conquest of Russia (wrote the analysts in the White House) would: 1) remove armed resistance from Germany's eastern flank; 2) extend Germany's flank to the Pacific; 3) furnish Germany needed resources from Russia and the Middle East; 4) allow an all-out attack on the British Isles; 5) allow a drive for Nazi conquest of all Northern Africa; 6) strengthen German propaganda peace moves.

These facts, the analysts said, added up to a gigantic pincers movement directed at the U.S., one arm moving toward the Pacific trade routes, the other toward the trade routes in the North & South Atlantic.

The White House advisers concluded: the U.S. must shape a clear-headed policy based on these facts. From the facts Franklin Roosevelt then decided:

> The U.S. must realize that aid to Russia is aid to Russian people of all beliefs who are defending their homeland from aggression--the Russian Orthodox Church, for example, after 20 years of Communist persecution is supporting Russian defense.

> The U.S. must refuse to be duped, as other democracies were duped, by German lies. The people who claim that the attack on Russia has changed the nature of the war are people who have opposed effective aid against aggression even before the war was "changed"--Hoover, Landon, Lindbergh, et al.

As a result, concluded Mr. Roosevelt, the U.S. must act at once to strengthen every point of resistance to the German pincers movement that threatens U.S. security: 1) the British Isles, 2) Russia, 3) China, 4) the Near East, 5) Africa.

The President, on the strength of this analysis, now called in his Lend-Lease Administration. He said: the U.S. has not sent Russia one blankety-blank thing to help her fight the war; I want action and action now to get materials and weapons moving; get tough; if necessary, use a heavy hand.

At the Friday, Aug.1 Cabinet meeting the President again outlined his views; said that not a gun or plane had moved to Russia; said he had ordered such aid to move immediately. There was lengthy discussion, but the Cabinet agreed.

The Lend-Leasers ran into really tough opposition: the U.S. Army and the British. The War Department generals began talking about the need for equipment for the autumn maneuvers; how Congress was expecting the maneuvers to show a big improvement in equipment. The British in Washington flatly balked. The situation was immediately laid before Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

This week aid will start. The Russians will get short-range bombers, pursuit planes, tanks, anti-tank guns. Later--if there is a later--Russia will need other things: gasoline, raw materials.

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