PROBE OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY EXPECTED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 24, 30 January 1939, Page 7

PROBE OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY EXPECTED.

MANY RUMOURS.

Undertaking to Help France In War Suspected. MILITARY SECRETS SHARED. United Press Association.—Copyright. WASHINGTON, January 29. A searching Senate inquiry into the Administration's entire foreign policy appears likely as the result of reports that President Roosevelt, through the Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. H. Morgenthau, and over the heads of the Army and Navy, has made available military and aviation secrets to an agency of the j French Government. The reports lave brought to a head a suspicion within the Senate Military j Affairs Committee that the recent foreign policy is pointed directly toward participation 011 behalf of France in a European war. I The following developments are regarded as backing up the reports:— First, Mr. Roosevelt's statement that the Cabinet had spurred on American factories to produce a rush order of as many as 000 warplanes for France as a means of providing work for idle plants. Second, Mr. Roosevelt's request for an immediate appropriation of 00.000.000 dollars to build nearly 600 aeroplanes for the American Army, for the same reason. Third, a secret hearing in which the Senate Military Affairs Committee questioned Mr. Morgenthau, Mr. H. H. Woodring, Secretary for War, and General Malin Craig, Army Chief of Staff, regarding the presence of M. Paul Chemidlin, a representative of the French Air Ministry, in a light Douglas bomber when it crashed during a test at Los Angeles six days ago. Fourth, an announcement by Mr. Carl Vinson, chairman of the House Naval Affairs Committee, that he had "invited" the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Mr. Charles Edison, to tell the committee on Tuesday whether the Administration really intends to fortify Guam, and to what extent. Senate to Probe Reports. The Senate is expected to probe a report that the Ambassador to France, Mr. William Bullitt, impressed with the imminence of a European war, approached the chiefs of the Army and Navy with a request that they should order a service type of aeroplane which legally could not be exported, so that when and if a crises developed, but before France was actually at war— due to the Neutrality Act—Mr. Roosevelt could ask Congress to authorise their sale to France.

The Chiefs of Staff are reported to have turned this down, upon which Mr. Bullitt went to Mr. Roosevelt, who wrote a letter to the Secretary of the Navy, Mr. C. A. Swanson, and to Mr. Woodring and Sir. Morgenthau directing tliem to give every possible consideration to French needs and every courtesy to the French Air Mission. Mr. Roosevelt's request for tlie 00.00D.000-dollar appropriation closely followed the circulation of this rumour. Mr. Roosevelt,- at a Presa conference, explained regarding the crash at Los Angeles in which the pilot was killed and M. Cheiriidlin was injured, that the aeroplane had not yet been accepted by the Government and therefore the company had a perfect right to permit anybody to ride in it. Mr. Roosevelt added regarding the French purchases that, since the factories are idle, the Cabinet had considered it a desirable step, particularly since the French order could be completed before the start of construction of American aeroplanes. Several Senators who looked on at the conference left unconvinced by Mr. Roosevelt's comments. They said that if it became apparent that unusual facilities had been accorded the French mission it would raise doubts regarding some of the purposes behind the huge United States air rearmament. Some are even resolved to probe whether there is any informal understanding that in the event of Britain and France being involved in war some of America's air fleet would be placed at their disposal.