In 1938, almost every country had the upper hand over the US, but we sure ramped up quickly.
If the US had not had the 2-ocean navy program & the draft — both adopted prior to American involvement — there would not have been forces that could simultaneously land troops in French North Africa and push the Japanese out of the Solomon Islands in 1942. I’m not certain that the war would have played out the way it did. The peace-time draft passed by a single-vote.