OUTRIGHT GIFT TO BRITAIN URGED

Chronicle (Levin), 5 March 1946, Page 5

OUTRIGHT GIFT TO BRITAIN URGED

MR. KENNEDY'S VIEW ON LOAN Received Monaay, 10.20 p.m. WASIIINGTON, Marcb 4. The former Ambassador to London, Mr. Joseph P. Kennedy, urged thj United States to provide the pioposea 3, 7t>0, 000,000 dollars aid to Britain as an outrigiit gift. "The question of aid is not whether the British have a right to demand this aid; they have not, but it is to our en lightened self-interest to grant it," said Mr. Kennedy. "After ali, Britain was our best customer in foreign trade. The Britisfi people and their way of Life are the last barrier in Europe against Communism and we must help them hold that line. ' ' I agree with virtually everything that has been said by those m both countries. who oppose the British loan as formulated by the United States Government. The United Kingdom t'ought from 1939 to 1942 to save its own skin, and to this commendable singleness of purpose the following puh Lic words of Mr. Churchill offer adequate testimony, if any is needed ' Dur Lng those years I was working, hoping and praying night and day that the United States would enter the war.' So we owe the British nothing on that basis. But we have already spent ahout 200,000,000.000 dollars in a war that we were told would save civilisation and we had hetter give another 4,00Q,000,000 to the same end, even though we can ill afford to do that. "However, the British are iu a bad economic situation. They are a fine people and it is to our interest to help them now and maintain the 'balance of world trade and world salvation, lest otherwise they he driven into the arms of Communism. "In so doing, let us not practise de ceit on the American peuple. The truth is that financial aid to Britain, whatever name is applied to it, should be an outright gift. Let us give graciously and let us admit the fact to ourselves. "