LATE NEWS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 143, 13 March 1939, Page 6

LATE NEWS

U.S. HELP FOR THE DEMOCRACIES

Public Support For Roosevelt’s Policy MOMENTOUS SHIFT OF OPINION Possibility Of Repeal Of Neutrality Act By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Received March 13, 1.10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, March 12. Tiie' latest nationwide survey by the American Institute of Public Opinion indicates that Americans are swinging in behind President Roosevelt’s policy of giving concrete assistance to the democracies in the event of war. Seventy-live per cent, now favour selling food to Britain and France and 52 per cent, favour selling planes and munitions. Eighty-three per cent, are against assisting them with the United States’ army and navy, but the Institute reports a growing fear that America will, not be able to stay out, also the belief that Germany and Italy would attack the United States if Britain and France were vanquished.

The survey stresses the momentous shift of public opinion going on within America. Two weeks before Jlie Munich conference the institute found that the majority of Americans opposed even sending food to Britain and France. It now - finds that public opinion favours a revision of the provisions of the Neutrality Act. Roosevelt’s Attitude. Meanwhile, according to the -“New York Herald-Tribune,” President Roosevelt is prepared to back a move for the repeal of the Neutrality Act, but will not take the lead himself. It is reported that he wants authority to permit belligerents to buy supplies if they are prepared to pay cash and transport the munitions in their own ships. It is believed that this would harmonize with American traditions of neutrality yet carry out the Administration’s policy of assisting the democracies. Theoretically both the totalitarian Powers and the democracies are able to buy armaments, but actually only the democracies have the naval power to protect their ships.

It was revealed today that more than three-fourths of America’s exports of armaments in the past two months have been to Britain and France. Britain took 11,711,030 dollars worth and France 5,504,428 dollars. Italy and Japan were not granted a solitary licence and exports to Germany totalled only 535 dollars.