FIFTY U.S.A. DESTROYERS

Grey River Argus, 6 August 1940, Page 6

FIFTY U.S.A. DESTROYERS

GIFT TO BRITAIN General Pershing’s Proposal TO SAVE BRITISH FLEET. [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Received August 5, 5-5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, August 4 General Pershing, in a broadcast urged the United States to make available at least fifty over-age destroyers to Canada or to Britain, “if some proper method carl b e found,” as a means of safeguarding the United States’ own freedom. He addect: “To-morrow it may be too late to keep war from the Americas. If there i s anything that the United States is able to do to help to save the British fleet in the next weeks or months, we shall be failing in cur duty to America if w.e don’t do it. It old destroyers are able to help to save the British fleet, they may sav e us the dangers and the hard-1 ships of another war. “I believe that it would be absolute lolly even to consider sending another expeditionary force to Europe” General Pershing continued. “The way to defend our heritage, before it is too late, is to do everything possible to aid Europe’s last democracy, Britain. We can easily afford fifty destroyers, because we have an m-.--mens e reserve of them from the last war. The next few weeks and months will be the most critical for Britain, b&cause, after that, she will have completed a large number of her own destroyers. America, at present, is gravely threatened. We must unitedly aris e and defend our liberties and independence.”