AXIS REACTIONS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20568, 30 May 1941, Page 9

AXIS REACTIONS

BERLIN THREATS ROME SEES WAR PLAN VICHY GIVES DENIALS REQUESTS FOR BASES (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Asen.) (Reed. May 29, 3 p.m.) LONDON, May 28. While Britain rejoices over President Roosevelt’s forthright declaration, Axis spokesmen attempt to depreciate the implications. Mr. Roosevelt’s broadcast speech of last evening was neither sensational nor new, was the first comment .of officials in Berlin. They added: “As far as Mr. Roosevelt’s remarks on the freedom of the seas were concerned we draw attention to Admiral Raeder’s warning and also the Fuehrer’s statement that any ship coming in front of our torpedo tubes will be destroyed.” The Berlin correspondent of the British United Press says that official interest centred in Mr. Roosevelt’s statement of the present rate of sinkings of British ships, which is described as one of the most interesting portions of the speech. Neutral circles in Berlin considered the speech an outright rejection of Admiral Raeder’s warning and also thought the speech was much stronger than had been expected. The Italian publicist, Signor Gayda, writing in the Giornale d’ltalia, states: “President Roosevelt’s speech was bombastic, alarmist, aggressive and confused. It is bound to disappoint the British who expected a declaration of war.”

The Rome correspondent of the British United Press says that official reaction is lacking, but some quarters inferred that a definite Anglo-Ameri-can war plan had already been worked out wherein the speeding up of American production was the first step.

Vichy Government View

The Vichy Government spokesman said Mr. Roosevelt’s speech had been received calmly, because there seemed no reason to believe that the United States would take action against Dakar or other parts of the French empire. “The United States would take action if Germany tried to take Dakar, but Germany has not asked for such bases and France will not give them,” stated the Vichy spokesman. “The French Empire will be defended against any challenge from any quarter.

The Lisbon correspondent of The Tmes says that Portugal’s attitude to Mr. Roosevelt’s reference to the German threat to the Azores and Cape Verde Islands is that the neutrality of these territories may safely be left to Portugal who has been steadily reinforcing her colonial garrisons during" the last three months. The reaction in Tokio to Mr. Roosevelt’s speech, terms it one more step towards war. Japanese newspapers are inclined to exaggerate the declaration of a national emergency as “dictatorship.”