WAR THEATRE GOES EAST

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 85, 7 October 1940, Page 7

WAR THEATRE GOES EAST

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.)

WASHINGTON, October 5

The United States Secretary of the Navy, Colonel Frank Knox, said the Japanese-German-Italian alliance was the mont serious challenge to the American mode of life in history. The alliance, he said, was directed against the United States, which was the largest obstacle in the path of the totalitarians should Britain fail to stem the tide of tyranny.

v "International brigands surround the United States, whose destruction would be their greatest victory," Colonel Knox continued. "Never understanding us, they suppose that our people can be brought under their iron rule. Both as an Ameiican and as a navy official I know differently. If a fight is forced upon us we will be ready. We have never lost a war yet. The acquisition of bases from Britain has moved the Atlantic war theatre a thousand miles eastward."

Colonel Knox declared that there were hundreds, even thousands, of saboteurs in the United States. Every shipyard, factory, arsenal, and powder plant had to be guarded.

The navy has summoned 27,000 reservists, of whom 11,289 are already on duty. The total strength is 235,000.

The navy announced that it was disbanding the three-ship squadrons which had been on duty in European waters since the Spanish war. They were returning to the United States.

The War Department has awarded a 37,770.000-dollar contract to the North American Aviation Company, completing the programme of 18,641 aircraft inaugurated on July 1. This brings the total to more than 20,000 planes ordered since early summer.