Opens Many Empire Ports To U.S. War Supply Ships

Northern Advocate, 17 September 1941, Page 5

Opens Many Empire Ports To U.S. War Supply Ships

WASIIiINGTOtN, September 16. XHE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS ANNOUNCED THAT HENCEFORTH UNITED STATES SHIPS WILL BE PERMITTED TO CARRY WAR SUPPLIES AND PASSENGERS TO LARGE AREAS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE FROM WHICH THEY WERE BARRED UNDER PREVIOUS INTERPRETATIONS OF THE NEUTRALITY ACT. State Department officials said the decision was based on the opinion of tin 1 Attorney-General (Mr. F. Biddle) that the term “•United Kingdom” in the Neutrality Act applies only to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern: Ireland. Mr. Roosevelt used the term. “United Kingdom,” in proclaiming-, on September 4, 1 OMt), that a state of war existed between Germany on the one hand and. “France- Boland, the United Kingdom, India, Australia. Canada, New Zealand and the Union of 'South Africa” on the other hand.

Colonial Bases The officials declined to define precisely the areas which the new interpretations of the Act would open up to American shipping, but gave it as their opinion that Aden, Egypt, Malaya, the Straits Settlements, Hongkong, British Borneo, British East Africa, British Somaliland and the Sudan would be involved. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Herald-Tribune” says the new ruling permits American ships to carry arms and ammunition to such places on the West African coast as Gambia, which is a natural offset to Dakar. Also the building up of Freetown, Sierra Leone, as a naval threat to Dakar, could be acomplished. The correspondent says one of the most interesting aspects lias to do with the Isle of Man, which is net legally a part of the United Kingdom. Thus, if the President lifted his proclamation of a combat zone around England, American ships would be enabled to discharge munitions at the Isle of Man. Revision of Law The President yesterday conferred with Congressional leaders on the advisability of revising the neutrality law which bars American ships from the war zone and also prevents the arming of American merchant ships, regardless of where they are operating. The Speaker of the House of Representatives (Mr. Reyburn) said no conclusions had been reached. The United Press Washington correspondent says that a canvass of legislative opinion reveals that Con-

gressmen expect to repeal the Neutrality Act or to establish United States bases in the Azores and Cape Verde islands as the next step in the President's programme to protect commerce in the Atlantic.