AXIS IMPUDENCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 December 1940, Page 5

AXIS IMPUDENCE

REBUKED BV NEW YORK PAPER —— f PUBLIC OPINION BEHIND PRESIDENT. ASSISTANCE TO BRITAIN WILL EXPAND. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) NEW YORK, December 22. The threat on Saturday by the Berlin spokesman, who referred to the tripartite pact in his “solemn warning” against American aid to Britain, is described by the “New j York Times” as impudent. The paper adds: “If the Nazis think they can influence American policy by getting Japan to divert American attention to the East, they have not understood the unity of public opinion behind the schemes of the Administration for sending Britain all possible material aid.

“All the Axis propaganda which will be wielded by the enemy when the Tripartite Pact comes fully into force will not alter the American determination to continue and expand their assistance to Britain. Public opinion was behind the President when he said in his speech last week that the best defence of Britain was the best defence of America.”

Mr Herbert Hoover, in a speech, said that the survival of American democracy and world civilisation hinged on how America . solved the problems imposed under the preparedness programme. He said that the problems could be solved if "we definitely organise an increase of our industrial efficiency and productivity.” In the House of Representatives Mr Voorhis will introduce a Bill to enable the prosecution of saboteurs against British and other foreign defence orders.

Officials in Washington are reported to be discussing the question of a rigid licence control system for imports Which would mainly be directed against Japan. The proposal has not yet been presented to President Roosevelt and, moreover, legislation would be required which would inevitably produce a heated controversy in Congress.

JAPAN’S ATTITUDE

PROPAGANDA MINISTER RETICENT. “MUST WATCH DEVELOPMENTS.” TOKIO. December 23. The Minister of Propaganda, Mr Nobufumi Ito, parried questions on Japan’s attitude regarding the warning to America given by the German official spokesman on Saturday. “We must watch developments,” Mr Ito said. “It is dangerous to speak on hypothetical cases.” He added that whether American acts of assistance to Britain would be considered an aggressive matter for the signatories of the tripartite pact were for the joint technical commissions to decide. ITALY & JAPAN SOME FACTS FORGOTTEN. LONDON, December 22. "Italy is suggesting that Japan’s attitude will terrify America to the point of abandoing help for Britain and will also cause the diversion of British forces from the Mediterranean to ,the Far East,” stated a commentator. “Italy forgets two things. The first is Japan’s present difficulties in China, which reports received today show to be increasing. “The second is that Britain's Far Eastern territories, which now have their own commander-in-chief, are fully prepared to defend themselves. The latest indication of this was a broadcast statement today by the Governor of the Straits Settlement and High Commissioner for the Federated Malay States that plans for bringing Malay’s defence services to a state of complete efficiency were being accelerated and extended. “Meanwhile, closer co-operation between Malaya and the Netherlands East Indies is forecast by the chief of the Information Department of the Netherlands East Indies. He said that already Singapore is obtaining large oil supplies from the Netherlands East Indies.” PRODUCTIVE POWER AMERICAN MOTOR INDUSTRY HUGE OUTPUT OF PLANES POSSIBLE. WASHINGTON, December 23. Mr. P. Murray, president of the Committee of Industrial Organisation, announced a plan by President Roosevelt to utilise the present unused capacity of the automotive industry, which coudl produce after six months’ preparations 500 of the most modern fighting planes daily and approximately 150,000 in a year. He said that the unused capacity exceeds the combined British, Germany, French, Italian, Russian and Japanese automobile production by approximately 4.000,000 annually.