Americans Speak Of “Our British Navy”

Northern Advocate, 3 January 1941, Page 8

Americans Speak Of “Our British Navy”

“The war effort of the United States of America, on the side of England, as seen at first-hand, is positively thrilling,” said Mr Edmund Anscombe, the Wellington architect, who has returned after a four months’ visit to the United States. “You don’t have to look for evidence of America’s feeling and sympathies in the war,” said Mr Anscombe. “In the streets of every city I visited there were shops hired to receive goods and clothes, mostly for Britain, labelled. ‘We want to help those who are helping us—perhaps you have something to spare.’ And all over the country there was a ‘Bundles for Britain’ campaign. There was no doubt about it—l could see a change even in the ten weeks I was there; the gradual warming up of public feeling; the growing realisation 'that England was fighting America’s battle as well as her own.

Enthusiasm for Navy,

“Let me tell you a little story to illustrate what I mean,” said Mr Anscombe. “I was introduced to a prominent American doctor at Chicago. As soon as he knew I was a Britisher, his face glowed as, much to my surprise, he said, ‘What do you think of our British Navy?’ • This from an American J He was most enthusiastic over everything the Navy had done—the Altmark incident, the Battle of Narvik, the Graf Spee debacle, the shelling of the Italian fleet at Taranto, and the Jervis Bay incident—he knew every detail of each engagement, and all through referred to ‘our Navy’ as though the feats had been performed by the American fleet. It was typical of how American people are thinking. They are at last realising that if England were to go down, America would have no chance of resisting the forces of Hitler.

Engines for War Planes,

“In Detroit I had the good fortune to meet the president of one of the great motor-car construction companies.”, continued Mr Anscombe. “Being an architect. I was privileged to scan the plans of the colossal works that were to be erected for the manufacture of Rolls-Royce engines for the big' war planes. It was explained to me that the plans had first of all to be laid down by engineers, who planned the latest form of rotational construction on mass production lines. Having evolved this process, all the architects had to do was to provide the buildings to cover the works. When I was there the foundations were already laid and the constructional steel was on the ground. When one envisaged such colossal plans one realised what Roosevelt meant when he said, ‘You cannot'pass an Act one week and start deliveries the next.’

“I also visited the great Douglas works at Santa Monica, in California, where they were turning out planes for England at an impressive rate—planes already bearing the insignia of the Royal Air Force. It was an amazing sight, forcing one to see that ultimate victory for England is inevitable.

German Population.

“The papers over there told me that there are 30,000,000 Germans in the United States, and the Nazi organisation had a complete census of the German population, what positions they hold or trades they follow, and what their social or political influences are worth. Only recently, within the last few weeks, there have been meetings of the German Bund in America, with members present in uniform.

“Lindbergh, who a few years ago was a public hero, and whose isolationist broadcasts were enthusiastically received only a few months ago, is now absolutely discredited. Now 75 per cent, of Americans are saying that they must save England while she is on her feet!

“During my stay in New York I had the pleasure of attending a gathering of the English-speaking Union in the great Rockefeller centre,” said Mr Anscombe. “The hall was crowded, and even while an entertainment was proceeding the women were sewing and knitting. These goods were then sent on to the depots or shops that were collecting such goods, all of which were labelled, ‘Defend America by aiding the Allies.’ It was during that gathering that a man sang ‘There’ll Always be an England,’ a song which set them all alight,”