LOCKED IN COMBAT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 128, 1 May 1941, Page 7

LOCKED IN COMBAT

AMERICA AND GERMANY. NEW YORK, April 30. The New York Times, in h twocolumn editorial, declares that the United States is already locked in mortal combat with Germany and, therefore, it would Lc most dangerous to follow a policy of drilling and hesitating. “The defence of America means strong leadership from Washington and willingness to forgo methods of indirection and veiled innuendo in favour of a bold statement or plain facts,” the paper says. “The defence of America also means firm insistence that strikes and lock-outs in the defence industries will no longer be tolerated. It means encouragement to! American aviators now ready to fl> our own planes in the 13 :ttlc of Britain. It means avoidance of the mistake of doing too little too late. “There is no escape in isolationism. We can cither surrender or do our part in holding the line. If we decide in favour of file American tradition for the preservation of all we hold dear, then we shall take our place in the line and play our part in the defence of freedom.” Mr Walter Fuller, president of the National Association ot Manufacturers, addressing industrialists, said | American industry had performed uj modern miracle of defence and wasi making more progre-s in fen months than Hitler did in' 30 with dictatorship economy- He said industry had | absorbed 13 000,000 000 dollars 1 worth | of defence orders in less than a year j and had placed 99 per cent, in produc-1 tion. He said a survey showed that j do per cent, of inunuiaeuirers expected j to deliver the orders on or he lore the j contracted date.

The United States Steel Corporation's net income for the li,st quarter of 1911 totalled 30 .309,000 dollars, the highest lor any quarter since 1929. despite record taxes. The plants are operating at an all-time high record and .30 per cent, are engaged on the defence programme. Preparations are being discussed in all the big cities oi the United States to build up-to-date types of air-raid shelters. The Government has' sent circulars to local authorities urging that they give the plans careiul study aim that they he ready for any emergency. Uaige siiriaee shelters are mooted, with smaller shelters for families. NAVA L OP El! A'l lONS. President Roosevelt told his Press I conference that American naval ves-1 sels could enter combat zones it necessary in defence of the Western Hemisphere. He said he did not recognise | any German combat zone extending; round the British Isles. j Fifty non-interventionist members of Congress have pledged “unalterable 1 opposition” to American convoys' “by j whatever name they may be called” and voted to petition the Senate For-] cign Affairs Committee to approve aj resolution forbidding convoys when the committee begins consideration on ; April 30. | President Roosevelt announces that be is requesting a survey ol civil aviation facilities to ascertain bow many planes can be bought for the defence of the Democracies. Ho said the bcjlig-i erent Democracies really needed civilian transport aeroplanes. The New York Times comments that; all types of civil planes, including trainers, will probably be sent, to Britain and China. j