POLITICAL VIEWS IN AMERICA

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23263, 25 February 1941, Page 8

POLITICAL VIEWS IN AMERICA

Feelings About Aid To England WOMEN’S CONCERN WITH PUBLIC AFFAIRS Mrs Frieda Jepson, wife of the late Mr Edgar Jepson, a well-known English novelist, who has been living in California for some years, gave her views on the American political attitude to a reporter of “The Press” last evening. She arrived in New .Zealand last week fay the Mariposa. “There are three groups in America,”" She said. “There are those who consider that England provides a defence for America, and that England should be given support in every possible way; there are those who consider that England provides a defence for America, but that England is certain to win, and that there is no need for America to bother; the third group considers that America is safe and can carry on her own life whether England wins the war or not.

“These views,” she said, “cut right across traditional American political opinions. The Democratic Party supporters are with Mr Roosevelt whole-heartedly in his aims to give help to Britain. The Republican supporters may be more doubtful; but since the visit to England of Mr Wendell Willkie they have accepted his views that England should be helped. The attitude of both parties is now officially to give assistance to England. Attitude of Political Parties “This is because the Democrats realised that the rallying cry of the party should be to give as much help to England as possible, and, although there are some who still doubt that this should be done among the Republicans, the popular feeling is so strong that it is felt that it should be adopted as an official policy. The great majority of people in America are in favour of assisting England in every way except by going to war. They feel that Mr Roosevelt is in favour of going to war, but cannot do so because of this general feeling. “There is no split between the two bodies representing American labour on this point. Both Mr William Green, head of the American Federation of Labour, and Mr John L. Lewis, head of the Congress of Industrial Organisations, are agreed that England should be helped. I gained the impression, too, before I left, that these two factions of American labour are being brought closer together because of this agreement,” Mrs Jepson made particular reference to the manner in which American politics were controlled by American women’s clubs. “American women are politically minded, more so than in England or anywhere that I have known,” she said. The effect of the women’s clubs is more than can be understood

in New Zealand. They talk about democracy, but they elect their members and their officers on a basis of wealth. They pass resolutions and communicate them to their representatives in the Government, using the most attractive of their members to do so. This may sound a harsh criticism. These women have the interests of the country at heart, and what they want to accomplish they do accomplish by going at the politicians till they are sick. They have accomplished many important social and humanitarian reforms, and are making America very much alive to the part that it must play in the present war, whatever their opinions may be. What they have done in stirring up interest in civic life has been of considerable value. Mr Roosevelt’s Appeal “The popularity of Mr Roosevelt with women’s'clubs is, of course, largely dependent on their husbands’ interests. But he has made a great personal appeal to everyone during recent months because of his obvious sincerity over the war issue. It is interesting to note that even the Communists are with him. The defence programme has swung over 'many big businessmen to his support, although this may only be because it means a greater expansion in industry. But it is not this, but Mr Roosevelt’s sincerity in his views, that impresses the people as a whole.” ,