UNITED STATES’ ATTITUDE

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22662, 17 March 1939, Page 11

UNITED STATES’ ATTITUDE

n ♦ Neutrality Act May Be Revised EVENTS FOLLOWED WITH INTEREST Dr. Benes Appeals To Czechs and Slovaks (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received March 16, 11.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 16. To-day’s developments did not bring any indication of the official reaction to the Czechoslovakian incident save the observation by the Assistant-Secretary of State (Mr Sumner Welles) that Mr Roosevelt is keeping in very close touch with ’ the situation. Unofficially it was, however, em- ’ phasised that the occurrences of the ' last 24 hours will only hasten the revision of the United States Neutrality Act with a possible cash-and-carry basis for munitions traffic assured in the interests of the de- ! mocracies, and a hastening of the United States rearmament programme. “Every time a small nation in Europe loses its political and economic independence by the power and pressure of the totalitarian States, that fact must be taken into consideration by the chiefs of the army and navy,” was the way in which it was put by a White House attache. The viewpoint of Congress was expressed by a member of the House of Representatives, Mr G. H. Bender (Ohio) as; “We are living in a world temporarily gone mad. Here in America it is our duty to do everything we can to defend the principles for which Czechoslovakia has been destroyed.” Herr Hitler’s march on Bohemia is followed by America with anxious attention, but no surprise. Such matters as American investments in Czechoslovakia, the reciprocal trade treaty under which a large international trade is carried on, and the Czech bonded debts of 169,000,000 dollars, held in America, gave the developments a practical aspect of > an immediate nature to the United States, but these are overshadowed, momentarily at least, from the popu- ; lar viewpoint. The “Dry” Napoleon The victories of the “dry” J Napoleon, as Herr Hitler is called because he conquers bloodlessly, 1 exert an unmistakeable fascination upon the man in the street who, perhaps without admiring Germany’s conquests, marvels over their periodicity and continuation. It is a game to follow and to wonder whether it will ever end, or what forces will end it. A Chicago message says that Dr. Edouard Benes, formerly President of Czechoslovakia, has issued a statement calling on the Czechs and Slovaks to struggle to the freedom a *‘A. new shocking international crime has been committed,” he states. “It is one of the deeds through which Europe is deprived and is go- 1 ing to be deprived in future of peace, i order, and tranquility. ] “In the struggle for freedom the ) individual has always won out against brute force and oppression, : and it will not be any different with < to-day’s brute force and oppression. A free Europe will be built up ‘ again and in it free Czechs and i Slovaks shall live.” German Celebrations ] Various Germau-American Bund 3 headquarters held victory celebra- 3 tions, and the police had to rally to 3 support a meeting of the so-called Racial Tolerance Society at Phila- l delphia, which was broken up by Nazi hoodlums. Such events have concentrated attention on certain other aspects of the Czechoslovakian situation, namely, the fate of racial, religious, or intellectual minorities, and at least one newspaper, the influential New York “Daily News,” advises the United States “to relax its immigration laws and allow into the United States as large a proportion of these people as we fairly can be called on to receive, if not larger .... for plain human decency.” The announcement that Argentina has just concluded an enormous barter deal with Germany has added another detail concerning what part the United States must play in combating the totalitarian States. Under this deal Germany is to take 55,125,000 bushels of wheat, valued at £7,000,000, and the Argentine : will receive in return motor vehicles, ' railway equipment, and other machinery.