A “DUD” BOMBSHELL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 April 1940, Page 4

A “DUD” BOMBSHELL

TF it was intended to be an exposure of a disconcerting kind, the Nazi publication of diplomatic documents allegedly found in the Polish Foreign Office must, be classed as an extremely feeble effort of its kind; A Nazi claim that the documents “proved, that Air Roosevelt had been involved absolutely in bringing about the present war” is so obviously preposterous that it can only invite derision. The papers—stolen goods, so far as the Germans are concerned—admittedly show that Air Bullitt and other American diplomats expressed themselves very freely in condemnation of Nazi crimes and in favour of powerful American rearmament. It may be perfectly true, also, that Air Roosevelt, in private diplomatic correspondence, “sharply and unequivocally condemned the totalitarians.” He has .done as much publicly on a number of occasions. That Air Roosevelt expressed himself as being firmly of opinion that Britain and France must end every policy of compromise with the totalitarians seems extremely unlikely, for the reason, amongst others, that the present President of the United States has shown himself at all times well able to mind his own business. That the United States gave a moral assurance or any other kind of assurance that she would join the Allies in the war is entirely incredible, though the possibility that she may ultimately join the Allies in the war is not of necessity excluded. Apart from these apparent inventions, there is nothing at all sensational in the disclosures. The opinions said to have been expressed privately by American diplomats in favour of a stand by the Allies against 1 otalitarian.aggression have long been expressed freely and openly by Americans in their Press and elsewhere. Although Americans are largely united in a desire to keep out of the war, many of them criticised the Allies sharply for not going to the assistance of Czechoslovakia and approved unreservedly the Allied, declaration of war on Germany. As an endeavour to stir up international trouble, the publication of the Polish documents will fall very flat. The utmost achievement the Nazi propagandists can hope for in this matter, if they can hope for as much as that, is to stir up a certain amount of trouble for President Roosevelt and his supporters in the lower and less reputable reaches of American polities.