U.S. AND BRITISH CRISIS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22337, 26 February 1938, Page 17

U.S. AND BRITISH CRISIS

Isolationism Gains

Strength

"REALISTS" NOT

REGRETFUL

Possibility Of Move In

Far East

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.)

(Received February 25,. 11.20 p.m.)

WASHINGTON, February 25

Careful inquiries among high Government officials responsible for American foreign policy convince the correspondent of the Australian Associated Press that the immediate effect of Mr Eden's resignation has been to strengthen the hands of the isolationists; but probably it has not affected the long-range view of the United States.

The more realistic groups in the State Department can be said not to have been surprised at Mr Eden's resignation, but they are not a little surprised by the time of it. It can also be said that the realistic groups are not sorry at the leave-taking—-not because they do not sympathise with his point of view, but because strong isolationists here are extremely suspicious of his efforts, alleging that they were designed or destined to involve the United States in foreign entanglements. These isolationists have proved the greatest single force of interference with the State Department's conduct of American foreign affairs.

Mr Roosevelt's position is described as something in the nature of an umpire's. It can now be said that the concepts of his Chicago speech about "quarantining" aggressor nations have not been acceptable to the bulk of American opinion, and that they have been abandoned by the President himself. It is emphasised that Mr Roosevelt is trying to keep the door open to both schools of his advisers, the isolationists and i.he "parallel actionists." The State Department may be inclined to dislike seeing England negotiating with the dictator Powers, but it is hardly unwilling to accept the benefits, if any, which arise from the situation.

It is felt that Britain, if freed from Mediterranean preoccupations, is likely to make a definite gesture in the Far East. In some quarters it is conjectured that this would possibly take the form of stationing several battleships at Singapore as a token of her determination to equalise the position in the Pacific. Such a move would immeasurably strengthen the parallel actionists here; and it is even emphasised that the success of the British and Italian negotiations would automatically prove a restraining influence on the military clique in Japan.

The best informed circles here are completely convinced that any action either by England or America in the Far East must necessarily be parallel. Considerable interest was aroused here by Herr Hitler's references last Sunday to the Pacific; and in diplomatic circles his remarks are interpreted to mean that he is not aiming at New Guinea, as well as an assurance to Japan that he does not aim at her mandates. BRITISH INFLUENCE ON U.S. POLICY STATE DEPARTMENT CALLED "SHIRT-TAIL BRIGADE" (Received February 25, 9.17 p.m.

WASHINGTON, February 25,

Mr Herman P. Kopplemann asserted in the House of Representatives that "Mr Chamberlain doublecrossed the United States when he decided to go along with the dicta-, tors."

Mr Thomas O'Malley asserted that Britain was moulding United States politics. "Downing Street has a shirt-tail brigade—our own State Department," he said. He expressed the opinion that the developments of the last week diminished the need for an increased 'fleet.