AIR OF DEJECTION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 77, 28 September 1938, Page 13

AIR OF DEJECTION

AMERICAN LEADERS

VAIN WAIT FOR HITLER'S ANSWER

A FURTHER GESTURE?

(Received September 28, 9 a.m.) WASHINGTON, September 27. In an atmosphere of gloomy and nervous tension, President Roosevelt and the Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull, vainly waited in the bluepanelled study at the White House until late tonight for Herr Hitler's answer to the President's plea. Dr. Benes, Mr. Chamberlain, and M. Daladier during the day pledged their aid to seek peace, but Herr Hitler was silent. The statesmen both think that they received their reply in the Fuhrer's unconciliatory address, to which they listened by radio. !

Mr. Hull instructed copies of the appeal to be sent to the Polish and Hungarian Governments. .Democrats and Republicans alike praise the appeal, but the majority warn that the United States must maintain its neutrality. Some express the opinion that the plea was made too late. "A body of opinion among Administration officials considers it is probably the last step the United States will take to try to avert war. Some, however, express the opinion that the way to another gesture is still open. It is said that the President has not another step in mind, but it is thought that if the deadlock continues till Friday night some new form of negotiation should not be ruled out as being out of the question.

SURPRISED AND DISAPPOINTED. Newspaper correspondents who saw Mr. Hull leave the White House after two hours'"' consultation during which he and the President listened to Herr Hitler's speech commented on his profound air of dejection. It is understood that he and the President were surprised and disappointed at Herr Hitler's failure even to refer to President Roosevelt's message to the Fuhrer. This feeling of near helplessness of the two statesmen responsible for the conduct of American foreign affairs can be said to have gripped the American people in the ;ame way after listening to Herr Hit-

ler's uncompromising pronouncement. Americans had rallied after the President's message. Even the "New York Sun," noted as the bitterest antiRoosevelt organ in America, praised its tenor and expressed gratification over Mr. Chamberlain's note and. Dr. Benes's acceptance of its principles. There was a faint flicker of hope that something might come from the President's bid, particularly singe certain Congressional leaders seemed ready to go even beyond the President, notably Senator Lewis, & member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, who proposed that the president should in the same way sumonon the signatories to the Versailles Treaty for a complete revision of the peace terms. WAR CONTINGENCIES. j The Cabinet has been convened for 2 p.m. and is expected to con- ! sider a programme contingent on : war and to discuss the Neutrality . Act. The latter is said, to be the President's main worry. If it is invoked there is no certainty that . American interests ami nationals [ abroad will be safeguarded. If it is not invoked any American ship carrying war supplies will be sub--1 ject to the risk of beang sunk. While Mr. Roosevelt has disclaimed sympathies for the disputants as such, the Administration has. worked closely with France and Britain in problems arising out of the Sin»-Japanese War to which the Neutrality Act has not been applied. Military experts say that Japan possibly will not join Germany and Italy if the United States remains neutral. i The War Department and the Navy Department are working at top speed to put the nation on a sound defence basis. Mr. Roosevelt himself is playing an important -part, in the plans of . the War Department. It was an- ' nounced today that the Second Divi-! sion will be reorganised into a highly ! mobile unit as a, model for the other i infantry forces. It will number 120,000 ' instead of the aormal 26,000. Motor- I ised equipment, and the most modern weapons will e*nable it to travel faster I and hit harder. It is also announced! that large-scale manoeuvres by the ■ First Division have proved that the new lightweight gas mask, is very effective. Ma far-General Albert Bland- : ing, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, reported a marked advance in enrolments,, intensification of training, and improsrement in equipment. The strength si present is 200,000. Such of <#ie cable news on this page as is so headed ljas appeared in "The Times" and Is cabled to Australia and New Zealand by special .pc emission. It should be understood mat the otiinions are not those of "The Times" unless expressly stated to be so. tty social arrangement Keuter's world service, ta addition to other special sources of information, is used In the compilation of the overseas intelligence published in this lssne, and all rights therein in Australia and Nsw Zealand, j are reserved.