AMERICA FIRST.

Evening Star, Issue 23620, 5 July 1940, Page 6

AMERICA FIRST.

In his testimony before the American Senate’s Military Committee, which is primarily concerned with the country’s defence, Mr H. L. Stimson expressed views that were somewhat disappointing from the British point of view. The burden of his cry, as reported, was American safety first. Mr Stimson, who is a Republican, is now Secretary for War, a post to which he was appointed by President Roosevelt recently when the Coalition Cabinet was formed. Mr Stimson is no friend of Germany. In speeches in the past he expressed himself strongly on the aggressive and ruthless methods of the Nazis,' but there; is no idealism in his latest expressions of opinion. He declared himself to be against American participation in the European War. At the same time he realises that his country’s safety is largely dependent upon the continuance of Britain’s control of the North Atlantic; therefore any assistance that the United States could give towards the maintenance of that sea power, he said, “ is a step of very great importance to our own interests ” in defence preparations. This sounds crude and selfish, but it would be unfair to take his remarks, in a necessarily condensed report, literally. Probably they were meant for home consumption, and intended to gain the support of the country for the measures approved by President Roosevelt for forwarding supplies for war purposes to Britain. Colonel Knox, who entered the Coalition Cabinet at the same time as Mr Stimson, taking the post of Secretary to the Navy, testified much in the same way. The desire of these two Ministers is to give aid to Britain by any means short of war. That, probably, in the present circumstances is from the British point of view the most effective way in which assistance can be afforded. Senator Walsh, the chairman of the committee, made the admission that high naval officers had stated that the United States could not, without British and French cooperation, successfully wage war to prevent Japan taking the Dutch East Indies. This was surely an unwise statement, and reads very like an invitation to the Japanese to go ahead with their plans. It appears from present indications that the Japanese do not need much encouragement in this way. Evidently the extreme elements in the fighting services are pressing the Government in Tokio to adopt a stronger foreign policy based on Germany’s successes to date. If this should happen the question will arise as to whether America will keep out of the Far East as well as out of Europe. It does not seem likely, and the whole position of the United States in tregard to the war might be radically changed.