You really need to learn some history. US weakness in the 1930's was inherited from the Republicans. The 1922 Washington Naval treaties were the first defeat -- Secretary Hughes sold us out with the support of Elihu Root while Harding was wallowing with his mistress. In 1916, Wilson (with FDR running it) had gotten Congress to support a great Naval building program and the ships were laid down. Japan started a program, and Britain was strapped by the war. Had the program been completed the US would have had the most powerful fleet in the world, but Britain and Japan could not afford to compete and would have been outstripped. Britain essentially forced Hughes to give up supremacy (in keeping with the stinginess the Republicans have always loved. Late in the 20's a few heavy cruisers (very poor ships because we observed the 10,000 ton rule) were built, but the Navy, Army, and Air Corps were pitifully weak. MacArthur under the rules (5 years without promotion & over 50) had to retire. You will recall that Roosevelt assigned many officers to the CCC in 1933 and there was a bad shortage of officers. Congress refused to appropriated enough to bring Army up to authorized strength. This was a period of extreme pacifism. Few Americans had any respect for the Army at all (especially after MacArthur bayonneted and shot and burned out the Bonus Marchers). Congress had to pass a law imposing a $500 fine for bars discriminating against soldiers. Roosevelt had been committed for years to opposing the Japanese, but Congress would not support military spending until 1938. You recall, of couse, that the extension of the "peacetime draft" in 1941 passed the House by a single vote.
It is easy to criticize Roosevelt for not resisting Japanese expansionism by some aggressive action, but not being a dictator, he could not force a recalcitrant Congress or people to rearm. All military people were furious when the Japanese sunk the Panay, but no one thought we were strong enough to do anything about it.
I always thought Hughes and Coolidge were traitors. Coolidge ordered the court martial of Bill Mitchell which crippled our airforce. He also led budget cuts in 1925 for which he can never be forgiven. |
