AMERICA WARNED.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 October 1940, Page 4

AMERICA WARNED.

A. RUDE but justifiable attack upon the complacency of those citizens of the United States who think that, their country is iinpregnably secure was made by the American Ambassador to France, Mr \\ . C. Bullitt, in an address reported yesterday—an address in which he declared that it ever a clear warning had been given to a nation that three aggressors contemplated <i luture attack upon it, that warning -was given in the recently announced agreement signed in Berlin by Germany, Italy and Japan. As against the honest belief of many Americans that, two oceans, plus the strongest fleet in the world, constituted a guarantee of security, Mr Bullitt set disturbing and incontrovertible facts. One of these was that “if England succumbs, the shipbuilding capacity of the yards which the dictators already control, plus those of Britain, would be six limes the capacity of ours” (those of the United States). The other fact, —one that is well established—is that strong secret Nazi movements have been developed in many of the South American States. Mr Bullitt has expressed and emphasised particularly clearly and well facts which it may be hoped are more and more commanding practical attention in the United States. It is manifest, that even the greatest development of its own military strength would not make the United States secure in a world' otherwise dominated by aggressive dictatorships. The American Government is indicating its appreciation of the position, not only in what has been called its non-belligerent alliance with Britain against the Axis Powers, hut in its increasing disposition to take a firm stand against Japan and to assist. China. If is possible to believe that American policy will continue to develop on these lines because this development is becoming quite obviously a condition of security in the Western Hemisphere and definitely ol self-preservation for the people of the United States. In time's past, the policy of isolation on the part of the Pnited States was condemned by liberal thinkers as one of callous selfishness. Today, American isolation could be regarded as nothing else than a policy of national suicide. For (lie sake of the United States as well as of our own nation and others, it must be hoped that these laets will continue to dominate and determine American policy not only during the present war, but in the reorganisation ol the world when the war is over.