AGENTS OF THE AXIS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 195, 19 July 1941, Page 7

AGENTS OF THE AXIS.

BLACKLISTED BY- AMERICA. WASHINGTON, July 17. President Roosevelt has issued a proclamation blacklisting more than j 1800 persons and firms in Latin Ameri ica suspected of acting directly or in- | directly as agents of the Axis. The ; move freezes the assets of specified ! firms and individuals in the United | States. It also means that articles covered by the existing rigid export control system cannot bo exported to these firms except under special license, which is not likely to be granted. The list. takes the United States a long step in the economic war against the Axis, and is a major move to freeze out the Axis from Latin American markets. Included in the blacklist is the Czechoslovakian Bata Shoe Company branches in Argentina, Brazil, and Haiti, and also TransOcean News and a number of Axiscontrolled airlines. The freezing of the assets of tho firms is expected to sever tho financial link between Axis propaganda agents in Latin America and their United States sunups ui dollar exchange. FIRST BASE COMMISSIONED.

The Assistant-Secretary of the Navj (Mr Forrestal) announced that the naval base in Newfoundland would b<, formally commissioned to-day, marking the first time the United States has established a base in British possessions in the Western Atlantic. The Trinidad base would be commissioned on August 1, he said. An indication that the Administration is now ready to force industryon to a war basis was given by the Secretary of the Treasury (Mr Alorgentliau) in a statement to the Press that non-defence manufacturing must, immediately be restricted if defence production was to reach the desired levels. He cited tho motor industry as a glaring example of the misuse of urgently needed facilities. “Some sort of civilian rationing should be instituted immediately,” he declared.

The House of Representatives ha,-, passed a Bill authorising the Navy to undertake a 585,000,000-dollar scheme for the expansion of shipbuilding, repair and ordnance manufacturing facilities for Government and private establishments. The Senate Military Affairs Committee has approved a compromise Biil authorising the President to requisition military or naval equipment, tools, supplies, and machinery needed for defence. The chairman (Senator Reynolds) explained that tinea rlier Bill would have authorised the seizure of any property. This was con sidered too sweeping. The thousandth bomber to bo made for Britain at the Lockheed aeroplane factory, California, was completed there to-day while in another part of the plant the British Ambassador (Lord Halifax) was thanking fhe workers for helping Britain.