AMERICAN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 July 1940, Page 5

AMERICAN

VIE' ■ ■' «sss Some Crucial Fads Acknowledged GREAT BRITAIN HOLDING LAST BARRIER AGAINST AGGRESSION ADVOCACY OF AID SHORT OF ACTUAL PARTICIPATION (By Telegraph—Press Association. —Copyright.) ' WASHINGTON, July 2. The attitude of the United States toward the European war, in conjunction with the situation in the Tar East, it as ce a ec bv Senate committees today. The two Republicans who. were recently nominated by President. Roosevelt, for inclusion in the Cabinet Mr 11. L. Stimson, who replaces Mr 11. IT. Woodring as Secretary of War, and Colonel Frank Knox, who has been named as Secretary of the Navy in place of Mr C. Edison, were subjected to a cross-examination by their respective committees, on their attitude toward giving assistance to the Allies and the circumstances in which they considered the United States would be justified in actively entering the war. The Senate Military Committee approved the nomination 01. Mr Stimson as Secretary lor A\ ar by a vote ol 14 to o. An effort to subpoena Mr Woodring was defeated, the committee deciding to invite Air Woodring to give evidence il he wished. The Naval Committee postponed the taking of a. vote on the appointment of Colonel Knox pending the hearing of a. witness who is allegedly going to quote Colonel Knox as saxing that he is in favour of sending an army to Europe.

SITUATION CRITICAL Mr Stimson, testifying before the Senate Military Committee, and Colonel Knox before the Naval Committee, declared themselves to be against active American participation in the European war. Both urged that all aid should be given to the Allies short of war. Mr Stimson said: “The situation today is much more critical .than it was last autumn and the time which can be saved by the existence of British sea power is much more precious. “We are facing a grave national emergency fraught with the possibility of immediate peril. The world is a house divided. It is not reasonable to anticipate that any peace which may be patched up with aggressors would be anything except the briefest kind of truce. A modern conqueror, once in power, would last a long time. “The time we have for rearmament is largely dependent upon the continuance of Britain's control of the North Atlantic. Under these conditions any assistance we can safely give toward the continuance of that seapower is a most important step in our own interests and in the preparation of our defences. ) “No one would wish to send American troops across our borders unless it was necessary for the protection of the United States itself. On the other hand, I do (? not) believe, that the United States can safely be protected by a purely defensive defence. Mr Stimson recommended the prompt establishment of selective compulsory training and service, the passage of which would bring home to every citizen the critical nature of the emergency. ATLANTIC DEFENCE LINE He added that with the development of long-range bombers, the United States defence line was pushed far into the Atlantic, embracing Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Newfoundland, and north-west Canada. It was recognised that a powerful enemy who secured a base on any of these places could make a devastating attack on the United States eastern seaboard. Replying to members of the committee, Mr Stimson said that the third term for President Roosevelt was not being discussed. “This is a mission unrelated to politics,” he said. Asked how he would regulate' the transfer of munitions to foreign purchasers the programme for aid short of war, he said, “I would consider whether the munitions would be more useful to the United States here or there.” Senator Edwin Johnson: “Do you believe we shall be the next victims of Hitler?” Mr Stimson: “No. There is one victim still holding a barrier on the North Atlantic. When that victim is stricken down we will be. or at least are likely to be. Every day the barrier to Hitler’s crossing the Atlantic holds out the better it is for us.” Senator Taft: “If Britain could be saved only by the United States entering the war would you favour it, even though Germany had not attacked us?” Mr Stimson: “Only if by so doing it would be better for our defensive position: At present our own protection involves the preservation of the British Fleet, but three years hence it might not.” COLONEL KNOX’S POSITION Colonel Knox, refuting charges that he was an advocate of armed intervention, read an excerpt from a speech which he made on October 24 in which he emphasiser his belief that the • United States should not participate actively in a world war. but in which he emphasised his belief that the Senator Walsh asked whether he had ever, publicly or privately, advocated giving military aid to the Allies.

Colonel Knox: “No, never.” He added that he had been offered the Navy Secretaryship last December, when he told President Roosevelt that he did not see any pressing reason why he should enter the Cabinet, bu» offered his services if the situation became grave. Replying to Senator Holt, Colonel Knox said that he advocated a strong policy in the Far East, but would hesitate to apply it at present. It would be unwise to precipitate a war on both oceans at present. “If the British collapse,” he said, “the United States may face a serious situation on the Atlantic.” Senator Walsh, chairman of the Senate Naval Committee, stated that naval officers had informed the committee that the United States could not successfully wage war to prevent Japan taking the Dutch East Indies, unless it was with the co-operation of Britain and France. Replying to Senator Walsh’s statement, Colonel Knox said: “In that case we had better not make any threats.” Explaining the position on aiding the Allies by means short of war, Colonel Knox said it did not include collective security with Britain. “It is selfish security,” he said, “and is not done from love of Britain. I am arguing in favour of aid short of war for the British, which might mean a British victory, but at any rate it will give us time to prepare for any possible emergency. Our emergency is that we are unprepared.” SUPPLY OF PLANES Colonel Knox added that he favoured giving the Allies implements of defence which were not essential to protection of the United States or which could be replaced within three months. He specifically favoured the transferof dive bombers because they were rapidly growing obsolete. He believed that American dive bombers were faster and more efficient than the German. Colonel Knox said that it would have been wise to have transferred to Britain some of the 111 destroyers which the United States had taken out of commission, but in no circumstances would be favour stripping the United States defences, even if refusal to sell meant the defeat of Britain. Replying to a question by Senator Holt as to whether vital interest of the nation are in the scales, Colonel Knox said: “An Allied victory vitally concerns the United States, but if you mean vital interests to the extent of going to war on the side of the Allies, no.” NAVAL PORTFOLIO NOMINATION OF COLONEL KNOX. APPROVED BY SENATE COMMITTEE. (Received This Day, 9.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, July 3. The Senate Naval Committee approved Colonel Knox's nomination, by nine votes to five. Colonel Knox testified that any British warship entering an American port would have to be interned. He also opposed the United States convoying supply ships to the belligerents, because "it would mean war.” • Both these opinions differed from Mr Stimson's advocacy on July 2. Colonel Knox added that, to insure its defence, the United States should acquire sites for naval bases in South America, which filled with warring political factions, was ripe for totalitarian penetration which would menace the United States. Senator Holt declared that he was submitting a minority report against Colonel Knox and indicated that the Isolationists would fight Colonel Knox and Mr Stimson on the Senate floor.