U.S. NEUTRALITY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 119, 22 May 1941, Page 7

U.S. NEUTRALITY

" TERRIBLE BLUNDER " Should Return To Freedom Of Seas Policy United Tress Association.—Copyright. Rec. 2 p.m. WASHINGTON, May 21. Colonel Prank Knox, Secretary of the Navy, at a Press conference, declared that the Neutrality Act was a terrible blunder and should be repealed. There should be a return to the freedom of the seas policy, permitting American ships to sail into British and other ports. "I am a firm believer, like President Roosevelt, of the traditional policy of the freedom of the seas," he said. "It is silly to contend that because convoys were effective in the last war they should be adopted in this one." Well-informed sources indicated to-day, according to the United Press, that Britain is concentrating her sea power in the North Atlantic at the expense of other seas, thus explaining the relative safety of American supplies shipped to Britain. The same source said Britain was far from content about the security of the seas in general, although the situation in the North Atlantic was much improved. Congress has approved the two far-reaching shipping bills as part of the "bridge of ships to Britain" programme. The Senate approved the bill authorising the acquisition of 59 new naval auxiliary vessels at a cost of 300,000,000 dollars. The House of Representatives passed the bill giving the Government broad powers to regulate the use of United States merchant ships, virtually making them part of the 2,000,000ton shipping pool to aid Britain.

The Maritime Commission has requested newspapers, Press services, radio and other sources of public information to effect a voluntary censorship of news on the movements of United States ships aiding the democracies.