NAZI DREAMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 April 1939, Page 5

NAZI DREAMS

ANXIETY OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

NAPOLEONIC ERA FEARED. BRITISH PRIME MINISTER’S ' SPEECH VITAL. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright NEW YORK, April 1. The widespread fear of foreign Governments that Europe is on the threshold of another Napoleonic era. growing out of Nazi dreams of world domination, kept President Roosevelt in periodic telephone communication throughout the day with the State Department in Washington and the American embassies in London and Paris, says the correspondent of the “New York Times” at Warm Springs, Georgia. President Roosevelt warned journalists that he might be forced to cut his holiday short and return to Washington at a moment’s notice.

His concern is- reported to be because of the belief that there is at present no limit to Herr Hitler’s ambitions, thus ending the hope that he would be content to annex merely German populations of continguous States. President Roosevent’s attitude is indicated clearly by his support of the “Stop Hitler movement” and his conviction that it will be Herr Hitler’s fault if war breaks out in Europe. The “New York Times” in a leader, says that Mr Chamberlain’s announcement takes Britain along a course which leads logically and perhaps inevitably to the continuing of her commitments in the defence of the peace of Europe. If Germany is in full possession of her senses, says the paper, she will recognise the importance of Britain’s step and not make the mistake of believing that the temper of Britain and France in the spring of 1939 is the same as it was in the autumn of 1938, or of underestimating either the staying power of British democracy in the event of war or its ability to command the sympathetic support of other democracies.

The “New York Herald Tribune” says that Mr Chamberlain’s utterance is an historic declaration, certain to exert a psychological effect reaching faf beyond the express terms of the undertaking. After 20 years of stubborn resistance to even the appearance of a commitment in eastern Europe, Britain now stands committed to fight under certain circumstances over a purely eastern question.