AMERICAN REPORTS

Grey River Argus, 25 February 1943, Page 5

AMERICAN REPORTS

The President Questioned [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 8.50) WASHINGTON, Feb. 23. At his press conference to-day, a reporter suggested to President Roosevelt that M. Staling order of the day indicated that the Soviet Army will cease fighting when the Germans have been driven from Russian territory. President Roosevelt responded quickly: “M. Stalin has not said that.” Ho gave a caution against such an interpretation. Mr Roosevelt was asked to comment on a magazine article alleging that Messrs Roosevelt and Churchill during their conference in January, 1942, promised the Soviet Ambassador, M. Litvinoff, that a second front would be opened in Europe in 1942. The President replied that an agreement was reached for a second front, which front was subsequently started at Algiers and at Casablanca. The “New York Times” Washington correspondent says: The discussion at the President’s press conference was instigated by the reports which are circulating in Washington that M. Stalin intends to come to terms with Germany after the Red Army has reached certain points in its advance; and also that the Soviet Ambassador to U.S.A.. M. Litvinoff, will soon be recalled to Russia as a protest against the absence of a second front in Europe; and because of Soviet dissatisfaction with the lend-lease aid given. The latter reports have lacked the confirmation of the State Department and the Soviet’ Embassy. The “Times” adds: President Roosevelt refused to comment as to whether Most Rev. Dr. Spellman, Catholic Archbishop of New York, was carrying a Presidential message to the Vatican. Mr Roosevelt declared that Archbishop Spellman is visiting the Arfny and the Navy units in his capacity as Chaplain Bishop. RUSSO-FINNISH PEACE. (Rec. 11.0.) NEW YORK, Feb. 23. The “New York Times’s” Washington correspondent, commenting on Mr. Sumner Welles’s hope that Finland will cease aiding Germany, says that the statement is important primarily because it is the first made m the United States since the Finnish elections. It conceivably might affect the composition of Cabinet. It at least records the United States Government’s attitude after the election and states the Washington belief that the Finnish people have been more for peace than the Government. It implies a hope that the new Government will be more closely in line with the peoples’ sentiments. It is probably the United States rather than the Vatican that will become intermediary in sounding Moscow for peace terms, since Washington has already brought pressure to bear on Finland. The two great problems are Finland’s withdrawal from the war and the presence of German divisions, also Finland’s dependence on Germany for food