ATLANTIC BASES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 March 1941, Page 5

ATLANTIC BASES

LEASES TO THE UNITED STATES AGREEMENT CONCLUDED AT DOWNING STREET. EVENT OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 27. The signing of the agreement for the leasing of Atlantic bases to the United States for 99 years took place at 10 Downing Street today. The agrement to lease'the bases was made in an exchange of Notes on September 2 between the late British Ambassador, Lord Lothian, and the United States Secretary of State, Mr Hull. Lord Lothian in his Note offered on behalf of the British Government to secure for the United States bases and facilities in Newfoundland, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, St Lucia, Trinidad and British Guiana. In the case of the last six territories these facilities were to be in exchange for naval and military equipment. Mr Hull accepted the offer and announced the immediate transfer to the British Government of 50 United States destroyers. Various questions arising from the leasing of the bases are now being discussed and Newfoundland and the colonies specially concerned have been represented at these discussions. The signing of the agreement, which comes so soon after the passing of the Lend and Lease Act, marks one more stage in the development of the policy of good neighbours and friendly cooperation to which the two democracies in their common interests have devoted themselves. As the Prime Minister, Mr Churchill, said last August l , it is certain that British interests no less than American and the interests of the colonies themselves and of Canada and Newfoundland will be served by the arrangement under which the fullest facilities possible should be givep to the United States in order that it may ensure what the Prime Minister described as security “against the unmeasured dangers of the future.” These dangers threaten not only the United States and the United Kingdom but the whole British Empire, including the populations of British territories in the western hemisphere.