CHAOS IN EUROPE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 January 1939, Page 7

CHAOS IN EUROPE

REPORTS OF AMERICAN AMBASSADORS

GERMANY’S AIR STRENGTH,

EMPIRE AND FRANCE FACING CRISIS.

By Telegraph—Pi-ess Association—Copyright, NEW YORK, January 10.

Members of the Congressional Committee, after hearing the statement of Mr J. P. Kennedy. Ambassador to Britain and Mr W. C. Bullitt. Ambassador to France, disclosed to the Press that the Ambassadors drew a picture of utterly chaotic conditions in Europe.

They warned the committee that Germany possessed an air strength greater than any two other nations and was building 1000 planes a month, with plans for accelerating this rate. There were also intimations that Messrs Bullitt and Kennedy believe that Germany will soon start to apply pressure on Poland and Rumania in order to open ’a corridor to the Soviet and the Ukraine, and that they reviewed before the committee the possibilities of a general war in Europe.

One member, commenting on the hearing said: “The British Empire and France are facing a crisis.”

CONGRESS IMPRESSED NEED OF PREPAREDNESS. SOME POLITICAL REACTIONS. WASHINGTON, January 11. It is clear that the disclosure made yesterday by the United States Ambassadors in London and Paris, Mr Kennedy and Mr Bullitt, concerning the state of affairs in Europe had a profound effect upon the Congressional Committee.

Individuals reacted according to their personal views. The isolationists,- for instance, complained that an attempt had been made to stampede Congress into huge appropriations, but the majority were impressed with the need for preparedness. Senator Bridges, a Republican, commented: “The testimony changes my opinion that Britain and France let down Czechoslovakia. There is a grave danger of a major war in the spring. The isolationists commented: ‘Europe’s in a mess, so what?’ ”

Senator Reynolds summed up their view in opining that the Administration was moving toward a policy that would find America largely equipped with aircraft and able to supply Britain and France.

The first practical outcome of the disclosures was an announcement by the Chairman of the House Committee, Representative May, who said that he would seek to include in the Defence Bill provisions for the military training of 300,000 boys and for the building of four-lane highways along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to expedite the transport of motorised forces. Both ambassadors emphasised the danger of Germany establishing air

. bases in South America. They stated i that the only helpful element in the . situation was the prospect that Germany would make a drive to the 1 Ukraine, which might give Britain and France time to build up their armaments. The American Institute of Public Opinion stated today that the great majority of Americans see eye to eye

with the President in his attitude against dictators. Sixty-one per cent of the voters in the last survey, for

instance, favoured a boycott of German goods. However, the fact that the President is facing a more difficult Congress was indicated today when the House Deficiency Appropriations Sub-Committee cut his 875,000,000-dollar supplementary relief work estimate to 725,000.000 dollars, this to provide relief for 2,300,000 unemployed, instead of the 2,800,000 dollars envisioned. President Roosevelt immediately announced that he would personally lead a drive to have the original amount restored. Some observers consider that he may have to fight against a similar attempt to prune the defence programme.