Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1940. THE ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 December 1940, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1940. THE ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY.

AS a broadly comprehensive declaration and statement, of th.e A policy the people of the United States are bound to pple in her own interests and in those of world democracy, iesic Roosevelt’s latest fireside chat admirably satisfies requirements Because there is every reason to believe that they are backed bv an overwhelming majority of the cH lzens «; States the President’s words will convey comtoit and cl liee to the nations and exiled fragments of nations now engaged in X 3 death stable with Naaiant. For the t" these words will strike fear and dismay into o 2‘? e ast the ruthless and reactionary gangsters who are seeking 1 SUml world back into the darkness of something worse than medieval bai ‘ b While his fundamental point was the futility of attempting to arrest the tide of totalitarian ferocity and dupheityanj attempt at appeasement or accommodation, Mi claimed fairly enough that the course he adyocates-tliat of building up American war production as rapidly as possible, both to hasten the rearmament of the United States and to extend the greatest possible material aid to the fighting iorces of democracy—involves less risk than any other. It a ? M pear that an element of canny calculation enters into his pohe . Jlis admitted hope is that adequate assistance given to Lu tain, Greece, .China and other forces actively opposing the dictatoi - ships will make it unnecessary for the United States to enter tlie In all probability, however, America will render more effective aid as what Mr Roosevelt called “the great arsenal of democracy” than if she became a belligerent. An unimpeded flow of ships, planes, guns and other implements and munitions of war from American yards and factories most certainly will contribute in a highly important degree to the victory of the democracies. This flow of necessity would at least be leduced very seriously if the United States proceeded to organise and equip a great expeditionary force for Europe. It should be recognised freely that the help President Roosevelt is calling on his country to give to Britain and the other champions ot democracy is the help that is most needed. Moreover, there are aspects of the situation in the Pacific which plainly make it undesirable, that the United States should be committed to military operations in Europe. With the assurance of expanding material aid Jrom the United States bulking large in the facts of the war situation as they are visible today, good grounds appear for the confident belief expressed by Mr Roosevelt that the Axis Powers are not going to win this war. Moreover, in the lines on which American policy has developed and is developing, substantial reasons appear for believing that the United States will cooperate with Britain and the other democracies, not only in winning the war, but in building up the better order of civilisation which eventually will justify the terrible sacrifices the war entails.

AN INCOMPLETE DENIAL.

TN view of the depths of criminality to which Nazi Germany has descended in the present war and on earlier occasions, the attack made by a German raider on Nauru —an undefended island administered under a League of Nations mandate — probably will be regarded by most people as being in all its circumstances, including an alleged misuse ol the Japanese flag, merely in keeping with what has gone before. Vital questions arise, however, as to the conditions in which Nazi raiders are now operating in the Pacific and the most important question of all is whether Japan is or is not providing them with base facilities. Denials as yet cabled from Tokio on this subject are somewhat incomplete. Yesterday, for example, a Japanese Navy spokesman was reported as having described as “false and fabricated’’ reports that German, vessels in Japanese-controlled harbours in China were arming for raiding activities. lie said that the Japanese Navy had not permitted this and that no such activities were at present in progress in the harbours mentioned. The same spokesman was reported as adding, however, that he was without information as to whether German raiders were active and were making a rendezvous in Japanese mandated islands. This, to say the least, is an astonishing statement, particularly in view of an. observation by the Australian Minister lor the Navy, Mr Hughes, that it could be assumed that the raider which shelled Nauru “was getting her supplies from one of the many isles in the Pacific belonging to a power whose watch!id eye was ‘conveniently turned the other way’.’’ Assuming some preliminary preparation of bases by the Germans in Japanese islands, perhaps before the war, possibilities appear here of something very like a partnership between Germany and Japan in attacks on British seaborne commerce. Assurances have been given of an active quest by British n<i\<il units for Nazi raiders operating in the Pacific, but it would seem that the position greatly needs clearing up also from another standpoint—that of a full determination_ of -Japan’s attitude and policy in this vital mallei'. A lack ol knowledge in Tokio of the use that German ’ raiders may be making ol Pacific islands held by Japan under mandate —islands from which British warships presumably are excluded —cannot be regarded as satisfying the requirements ot the situation.