TRUSTEE PLAN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 252, 1 August 1940, Page 5

TRUSTEE PLAN

WESTERN HEMISPHERE PLAN.

DECISION BY CONFERENCE.

UNITED STATES TO ACT

NEW YORK, July 30

The New York “Daily Wpub-f lishes- -a, -capyrighted, which states - Jhab; the * ■ Pan-'lmericaii Conference Havana agreed—and the stepYftily a walls’'ratification of the plan by the Pan-American nations—for the United States to send a naval expedition to the Caribbean early in September to impose a- trusteeship over French and Dutch possessions. This will liquidate the war in the West Indies, bottling up the oil refineries on the Dutch island of Aruba,? which have been important suppliers of Germany, impounding 250,000,000 dollars of gold in Martinique, demilitarising the French naval units, and repurchasing 100 United States military aeroplanes there for resale to Britain.

The Pan-American Conference adjourned sine die after all the delegates had signed the convention and also “the Act of Havana.’’ ?

The United States Secretary of State (Mr Cordell Hull)' issued a statement emphasising that “at no time has any American nation had the slightest thought of taking advantage of the European situation for the purpose ol grabbing territory.” Referring to certain Governments’ subversive activities in 'the. "Western Hemisphere, Mr Hull alleged that, “pursuing these policies, the personnel of diplomatic and consular missions have increased out of all proportion to the needs for their legitimate functions.”

The Under-Secretary of State (Mr Sumner Welles) said: “I hope a satisfactory understanding can be. worked out to prevent trouble regarding Martinique.” Answering an inquiry' as to what the United States considered to be a change of sovereignty' over European possessions to justify action undei the Havana agreement, Mr Welles said a change would be considered to have occurred when a free, independent Government lost its independence and came under duress.

He added that the Dutch possessions wore not affected, because the Netherlands Government was operating freely from London. Mr "Welles refused to express an opinion on the French Government.