Mr. Sam Rayburn, Democratic Representative of Texas, was one of the Lain supporters of the defence bill during the debate preceding today' vote.
"A man would have to be more than blind," he said, "not to realize the serious condition of world affairs today. Conditions in Exrope are more volcanic today than carly in 1014."
Speaking! for the Administration and the President, he said Americans uring the frst three years of the Great War "sat smugly over here, with a great ocean on cither side, believing that the Allies would. defeat Germany before we were drawn Gibraltar Had Only Four Anti-Aircraft London, Feb, 15.
At the time of the" September crisis, Gibraltar had only four anti~ aircraft guns, two at each and of the rock. This startling disclosure was made today by General Sir Charles ington, former Governor of Gibraltar,' whose five-year term of statement ata Empire Society, said that atthe time of the etisis Gibraltar was totally unprepared, "The French." he declared, had certainly "massed a Inrge force on the Spanish Moroccan border and might quite probably have taken Ceuta and Tetuan.. My information was that General Franco had wished fo be neutral; that Hiller had told him he could, but he would use his bombers" from "Spanish aero-Gromes, and 1 think it quite likely that. if the" French had jumped 0 Coulis, Herr Hitler would" have retaliated, and perhaps naturally, on (Gibraltar, 1 had only "four anti eiveraft guns, "1 am told that things fare very different n0\
1 believe 1 speak the minds of the inarticulate millions when T say that wherever the frontiers of this coun try may be, we Want to Ue adequate: ly, prepared for war," he declared.
The rate at which the United States Army constructs the 5,500 planes authorized in the defence bill depends fon the trend of world affairs, Mr. Rayburn said, idding the ominous note that "it may be necessary to con struct 2500 planes this summer, Guam Fortifieation Approved Speaking of events in Spain, Gen Jeral Harington declared that General Franco would turn to Great Britain for friendship; he wontd instal offective machinery of government; would "kick to death" the" German Jand talion troops, and he would not dictated to by' either Hitler or Mussolini, "As things look at present," Gon-Jeral Harington proceeded, "the sooner [General "Franco wins ahd the Ger-+}man and Ballan troops are removed. the better for the futtire of Spain and The House Naval Affairs Committee today rejected a motion to eliminate the fortification of Guam Island from the Vinson Navy Bill and tentatively approved the entire $65,000,000 act which would substantially strengthen United States defences in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans as well as the Caribbean, The Vinson Bill will probably go to the House for debate tomorrow after the Committee decides whether a proposed Florida naval base should be established at Jach The House project to the Vinson Bill today in the form of a $1,500,000 authorization for, the construction of an air bast at Tongue Point, Oregon, to provide 1 link between the United States and aerial bases in Alaska.—United Pres Britain, France as Bulwarks Berlin Comment on British Rearmament Berlin, Feb, 16, The doubling of Britain's armament oan, announced in the White Paper jon defence issued yesterday, has caused some. sensation in political fireless here, but they are. reluctant fo say whether the British step will be regarded as the signal for a new One commentator stated: obvious that other countries will not {ail to watch developments in Britain, and will probably act accordingly. Reuter, Washington, Feb. 15.
"When we sce-England'and France threatened," de-phon Pace, a member fof the Military Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, in defending sales of war planes abroad inthe House today.
ent it better," he asked, "to sel! England and France planes for defence than go to war with a big Power to prevent encroachment upon this hemisphere "The United States, for "selfish rea-would be forced defensively to aid Canada or Great Britain in' an emergency, he asserted. President Roosevelt " might' well "have sai "Our first line of defence is England and France."
'Mr. Pace reminded the House of the Possibility of cession of Bermuda if Germany were ever victorious over England and' France—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.