ITALY HARD HIT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 87, 14 April 1941, Page 5

ITALY HARD HIT.

INTERNAL STRAINS.

AMERICAN INTERVIEWS.

(By Air.) SAX FRANCISCO, April 2,

War's fortunes hit Italy hard in fWent months, when supply lines and •ourpos were lost, and severe internal •trains were created to hamper the Italian war effort. Captain Thomas C'. Kinkaid, t nited States Xavv, indicated on returning to New York aboard the xio Clipper after serving for two years * n d a half as naval aide to the State •° e partnient in Rome. He was accompanied by Mrs. Kinkaid and was met ®y Lieutenant Wilson Starbuck. public relations officer, Third Naval District, food and munitions shortages are causing Italy most trouble, Captain Kinkaid •aid. He added that he had been recalled to go on sea duty after making his 'eport to the State Department. Wcizmann, president of the World Zionist Organisation and of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, arrived *ith his wife. Dr. Vera Weizmann, on jhe Dixie, which carried 25 passengers worn Lisbon, Portugal. A chemist and liead of the British Admiralty laboratories during the World War, Dr. Wcizjnann declined to discuss the purpose of ®i« visit, "because I come from a county at war." Any message he brought *°i' the Jews of America, he added, *°uld be announced "in a few days." • An interview with Prime Minister Winston Churchill preceded Dr. Weizdeparture from London, a state-j ®>ent issued by the Emergency Commit-j Y® for Zionist Affairs asserted. The Arabs in Palestine are "quiet," he replied questions about Near Eastern conditions, while Palestine Jews are eervi with the British Army in Africa— 1000 in combat work and 7000 in auxiliary services. Insight into food conditions in unoccupied France was given by Maxine Trilf'ench textile engineer, who left ■*'oe last January. With his wife and w n-year old son, Georges, Mr. Trilling Mid he would visit another son, C'harlee, . ' * student at Armour Inetitute of

Technology in Chicago, before going to Cuba at the expiration of their 30-day visitor's visa.

German and Italian "special commissions" controlled the seaports of southern France with an iron grip two months ago and seized any cargoes thev desired, Mr. Trilling said. Mrs. Trilling, explaining that potatoes and fruits were almost unobtainable, said: '"If the British allow food to be sent to unoccupied France, the shipments will be taken by Germans at any port near Nice and Marseilles, where we were."

Mr. Trilling, asserting that "the only strength of the Vichy Government is in North Africa with the French Army." reported that when lie left the people of unoccupied France feared above all that Germany would take over the area to obtain a Mediterranean outlet.

Arriving from London to join Dr. Eelco van Kleffens, Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Government-in-exile, was Charles J. I. M. Welter, Minister of Colonies, who ?aid they would meet in Washington before proceeding to Batavia Java.

"The Netherlands Indies are in no danger now," Mr. Welter said. He described bis visit to Washington with Dr. van Kleffens as part of a mission on matters of defence and economics in thei East Indie? l . Dismissing questions on Japan's role in defence of the Dutch colonies as "political" and therefore not for public discussions, the Minister said it was "vital to us for the colonics to keep producing." Arms purchases "now can be made only in the United States" and the Netherlands Government has "ample funds." he continued. Another passenger on the Dixie was I Sir Firoz Noon, High Commissioner in Ithe United Kingdom for India, and he said he would spend three months attending to Indian affairs in the United States and Canada before returning to London. Three times knighted since 1932, Sir Firoz said: "India is A-l behind the war effort" of Great Britain. "The Indian Army is doing wonderfully well in Africa and Singapore. Only the Congress party in India has objected, largely as a matter of record." On his way to Washington to confer "on matters* of mutual interest" with the State Department, Sir Firoz said India's trade with the United States had increased since the outbreak of war, while India was buying arms through the British Purchasing Commission. ,