CANDID AMERICAN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 October 1940, Page 6

CANDID AMERICAN

SUPPLIES TO WARRING NATIONS. A candid indictment of his own country was made by Dr H. W. Hobson, Bishop of Southern Ohio, in a recent address. "Certainly for America there has been only a sham neutrality,” he said. “For two years over 50 per cent of Japan's war materials were supplied by us. Since the European markets were cut off last fall we have helped out Japan by increasing our shipments of war materials to over 80 per cent of the total needs. Gasoline has gone to Italy in order that Mussolini's son might more easily fly his aeroplane over the Ethiopians, and have the sensation he described of dropping bombs into the huddled, helpless crowds, and watching their bodies blown into mangled bits, like do use his words) a rose bursting into bloom. Let's not forget we were a party to ■ that frightful blasphemy. For the year before the outbreak of the war in Europe our exports of scrap iron to Germany jumped up 400 per cent. Thus we helped to supply the tanks which ground their cruel way through Holland and Belgium. Driving down from Columbus, I listened to a speech written by the Secretary of State of our country. He was dealing with the importance and value of foreign trade. Figures were presented showing the increase in our exports during the i years since these wars broke out. Then he spoke of the benefits of this to the people of America, describing these benefits in the words ‘safety,’ ‘comfort - L ind ‘enjoyment.’ I heard no word of a the millions killed in China, or the I Lens of millions made destitute, as a i result of some of this foreign trade in t which we’ve engaged.” S