U.S.A. NEUTRALITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 September 1939, Page 4

U.S.A. NEUTRALITY

MAINTENANCE URGED BY LINDBERGH VIEWS OF MRS ROOSEVELT. PROBLEMS FOR THE WORLD AS A WHOLE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. WASHINGTON, September 16. Mrs Roosevelt, in a statement to the Press, said that the minute wars begin they spread. "Nobody knows whether this country can keep out," she said. "The added problems involved must be met by the world as a whole not just by people who fight in the war.”

The War Department has announced that it is immediately streamlining all divisions of the regular army into small compact groups to secure greater mobility and efficiency. Colonel Lindbergh, in a nation-wide broadcast, pleaded for the United States to stay out of the European war. He gave a warning that the entrance of the American democracy would mean the loss of several million lives, and said it would be madness to send soldiers to be killed as they were in the Great War. If the United States entered Europe’s quarrels in war time it must stay in the quarrels? in peace time.

“If the war prostrates Europe,” said Colonel Lindbergh, “the greatest hope of the western civilisations lies in a strong America.” The State Department has issued export figures for August revealing the extent to which Britain and France have suffered by Mr Roosevelt’s imposition of the arms embargoes. France has obtained licences since January 1 totalling 72,363,000 dollars, and the actual exports amounted to 15,661,000 dollars. Britain obtained licences totalling 14,709,000 dollars, and the actual exports were 21,157,000, but virtually all Britain’s exports were.licensed last year. The values of licences issued in August were' France 1,152,000 dollars, Britain 321,000 dollars, Canada 132,000 dollars, Australia 190,000 dollars.

SURVEY OF OPINION

(Received This Day, 9.0 a.m.) WASHINGTON, September 17

According to an American Institute of Public Opinion survey, only 16 per ebnt of Americans are in favour of sending an army and navy against Germany at present, but 44 per cent want to intervene if Britain and France appear to be losing within thq next few months. Eighty-two per cent believe the Allies will win without American armed assistance, while 49 per cent think the war will end within a year