MONEY FOR DEFENCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 June 1940, Page 5

MONEY FOR DEFENCE

FURTHER PROPOSALS IN U.S.A.

NAZI INTRIGUES IN LATIN AMERICA. ALLEGATIONS AGAINST ALLIES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, June 4. President Roosevelt asked Congress for 1,277,741,170 dollars for the Army and Navy, of which 507,253,000 dollars in cash and 63,560,000 dollars in contractual authority are for the Navy, and 452,751,000 dollars in cash and 254,177,000 dollars in contractual authority are for the Army; also 180,890,000 dollars in cash and 109,260,000 dollars in contractual authority for Army aeroplanes. He sought initial construction of funds for three aircraft carriers, 13 cruisers, 22 submarines and 30 destroyers.

The Senate approved and sent to the House of Representatives a Bill authorising the Navy to acquire 10,000 aeroplanes, with 16,000 pilots, and to spend 144,132,000 dollars on new and improved Navy bases. The naval chairman, Senator Walsh, said the administration was negotiating for the establishment of air bases in South America.

General G. C. Marshall (Army Chief of Staff) urging the House of Representatives’ Military Committee to approve of the calling up of the National Guard, cited in support the rise in indirect, subversive methods in the Western Hemisphere, declaring that the authority to call up is “essential ’ if we are going to avoid serious trouble.” Several of General Marshall's remarks were construed as references to threats of a Nazi-Com-munist uprising in Mexico, after the election in July and the possible involvement of other South American countries.

The American Charge D'Affaires (? in Mexico), Mr Thomsen, in a memorandum to the State Department alleged that Britain and France had sent agents to the South American Republics and the Panama Canal in order to give the impression that numerous agents were operating simultaneously. The American Embassy in Berlin had reported that it had handed to the Press an announcement, alleging that Britain and France intend to sink the liners Washington, Manhattan and President Roosevelt.