ITALY'S ENTRY TO WAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 137, 11 June 1940, Page 8

ITALY'S ENTRY TO WAR

U.S. DISAPPOINTED

FEELING FOR ALLIES

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.)

(Received June 11, 1 p.m.)

WASHINGTON, June 10,

The Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull, said: "Italy's entry into the war will prove a great disappointment to people everywhere and is a great human tragedy." Crowded galleries in the Senate applauded for a minute an appeal by Senator J. Lee to send the Allies everything possible except men and to pool the defences against a common enemy. Senator T. Connaliy likened Italy's entrance to the war to the action of a hungry land-grabber. Senator Key Pittman said: "Italy's entrance to the war will accelerate the United States' efforts to give aid to the Allies, but the people of the United States have no desire to enter the war." President Roosevelt has asked Congress for authority to construct three dirigibles each of 1,000,000 cubic feet capacity, for experimental purposes, | naval training, and coastal patrol work. It is expected that the Neutrality Act will be invoked quickly to declare Italy a belligerent and the Mediterranean a combat zone. < The House Military Affairs Committee decided by 16 votes to 8 to authorise President Roosevelt to call out the National Guard in the event of an emergency, the Guard, however, to be used only in United States territory. The Committee also approved an increase in the regular army to 400,000 men.

On the New York Stock Exchange prices reached their lowest levels since June 18, 1938, declining by from two to ten points on Italy's declaring war. The closing prices were mostly above the low limits, but the declines were wide. Italy's action unsettled" all the American markets.