U.S. GIFT TO BRITAIN URGED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21962, 5 March 1946, Page 3

U.S. GIFT TO BRITAIN URGED

FINANCIAL HELP DIPLOMAT’S PLEA IN AMERICA’S INTEREST BARRIER TO COMMUNISM (10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, March 4. The former Ambassador to London, Mr. Joseph P. Kennedy, urged the United States to provide the proposed 3,750,000,000 dollars aid to Britain as an outright gift. "The question of aid is not whether the British have .the right to demand this aid. They have not, but it is to our enlightened self-interest to grant it,” said Mr. Kennedy. Barrier Against Communism “After all. Britain was our best customer in foreign trade. The British people and their way of life are the last barrier in Europe against Communism and we must help them hold that line.

“I agree with virtually everything that has been said by those in bo.tli countries who oppose the British loan as formulated by the United States Government. The United Kingdom fought from 1039 to 1042 to save her own skin, and to this commendable singleness of purpose the following public words of Mr. Churchill offer adequate testimony jf any is needed: ’During those years, I was working, hoping and praying night and day that the United States would enter the war.’

So we owe the British nothing on that basis. "But we have already spent about 200,000,000,000 dollars in a war that we were told would save civilisation and we would belter give another 4,000.000.000 to the same end, even though we can ill-afford to do that. "However, the British are in a bad economic situation. They are a fine people and it is to our interest to help them now .to maintain the balance of world trade and world salvation lest, otherwise, they should be driven into the arms of Communism. "In so doing let us not practise deceit on the American people. The truth is that financial aid to Britain, whatever name is applied to it. is and should beoutright gift. Let us give graciously and .H us admit the fact to ourselves,”