U.S.A. WAR ENTRY?

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 July 1941, Page 7

U.S.A. WAR ENTRY?

ALARM CAMPAIGN AGAINST PRESIDENT LONDON, July 16. According to a special correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” on the German frontier a sensational Press and radio campaign against Mr. Roosevelt, based on a report from the United States published in the Swedish newspaper “Aftonbladet,” alleging that the United States is about to enter the war is causing great tension in Berlin. The report said that Mr. Roosevelt has ordered the United States Navy to fire on German aeroplanes and warships without warning. J A message from Basle says that the Berlin cprrespondeht of the “National Zeitung” says that German official circles declare that the. “Aftonbladet’s” dispatch is considered “entirely genuine and authentic, after careful verification.” ' • DEFENCE PROGRESS. WASHINGTON, July 16. In evidence before a Senate Investigating Committee the AssistantSecretary for Wai - (Mr Robert P. Patterson) said that the United States had gone a good distance toward the goal of an army superior to that of any other nation in organisation and equipments “The last year brought great progress, but' for total warfare of the kind now raging in Europe we can never have enough munitions,” he said. “Personnel had increased sixfold during the last fiscal year, and the increase in material was thirtyfold. Our goal is not yet reached, but we are working at speed and at an ever-increasing rate. Mr Sidney Hillman, Associate Director-General of the Office of Production Management, said that not a single strike was hampering defence production. The industries were now employing 2,000,000 persons, against 400,000 last year. The number would rise to 6,000,000 next Mr Roosevelt has asked Congress for legislation to permit daylight saving, upon such a regional or national basis, for part or for all the year, as he might deem necessary m the interest of national defence. In a letter to Congress. Mr Roosevelt said that the proposal would result in an annual reduction in electricity of 736,000.000 kilowatt hours. A serious power shortage was impeding national defence, he said. PLANES FOR BRITAIN. ’ MIAMI. July 16. • The Washington correspondent of the Miami “Herald” says that in the last month a new route for sending American-made bombers to Britain has been through Miami. Some of the bombers flv direct the 4000 miles to Gibraltar, ‘but most of them go to Bathurst, British Gambia, and. from mere to Gibraltar. Others go to Africa through Natal, Brazil. Some, sent to Egypt from Gibraltar, are participating in the Syrian campaign. It is said that 200 aeroplanes have so far left from Miami. CARIBBEANJSLANDS. WASHINGTON, July 16. The United Press of America says an economic federation of islands in the Caribbean Sea, based on collaboration between Britain and America, has been proposed to Mr Roosevelt by the United States administration. Under the plan experts would be employed to solve the war-time economic problems ot the /L- - SPY-RING. NEW YORK, July 16. A Federal grand jury indicted 33 persons and named the German Reich as participants in a .nation-wide German spy ring, with international connections. The indictment said that the heads of the ring were agents of the German Government, and 'that their activities began m 1936. EIRE’S REQUEST. WASHINGTON, July 16. The Government of Eire has asked the United States for permission to buy more ships because thousands ol tons of goods are piled up at Nev, York docks. The Eirean Minister to the United States (Mr Robert Brennan) said that 50,000 tons ot stee 1, grain and fertiliser were awaiting transport.'