WORLD CRISIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23968, 19 May 1941, Page 7

WORLD CRISIS

DESPERATE INTENSITY

AMERICA'S DESTINY

PRESIDENT'S WARNING

(Rerd. 10.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, May 18 President Roosevelt, in a formal statement on the opening of Foreign Trade Week, declared that the dictator nations had already achieved serious economic encirclement of the United States, and summoned all Americans to resist the economic slavery to which Germany and. her allies would subject the world. "America is heading into a world- " wide crisis of truly desperate intensity, and aggression is menacing our economic, social and spiritual framework and our democratic way of life," said Mr. Roosevelt. "It is idle for us to talk of future foreign trade unless we are ready now to defend the principles on which it is and must be based. That defence calls most urgently on every American for his immediate and utmost effort." Stating that a totalitarian victory would mean that world trade would be controlled for the benefit of the Axis. .Mr. Roosevelt added: "That this is a fact is attested by official or inspired German announcements. Trade in such a world would be merely another weapon for further ruthless aggression and subjugation." AMERICANS DETAINED OVER 2000 HELD IN FRANCE "VIRTUAL HOSTAGES" (Reed. 10.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, May 18 More than 2000 Americans are being held as virtual hostages in occupied France. According to the State Department, no Americans have been allowed to leave Paris and other cities for the last three weeks. r Possible motives suggested are: (1) An effort to conceal troop movements; (2) a reprisal for the arrest of German . seamen in the United States; (3) anticipatory hostages in the event of war with the United States. YUGOSLAV PARTITION CROATIAN PUPPET STATE OFFER OF CROWN TO ITALY (Reed. 0.30 p.m.) ROME, May 17 It is officially stated that a Croat delegation will ask the King, of Italy to designate a Prince of the House of Savoy to assume the Croatian Crown. The Yugoslav Minister, M. Soubotic, called at the Foreign Office yesterday and presented a strongly-worded condemnation by his Government of the action of the Axis Powers in attempting to cut off portion of Yugoslav territory and in purporting to set up a so-called free Croatian State, says a British official wireless message. The Yugoslav Government, as the only duly accredited representative of Croatia as of other parts of Yugoslavia, insists that this completely unjustified proceeding grossly violates the true feeling of the Yugoslav- people in general and of the Croatian population in particular. Persons whom the Germans and Italians are using as instruments are the Croat Quisling, Auton Pavelich, and other terrorists acting under Axis orders. ANZAC PRISONERS CAMP IN YUGOSLAVIA WELL TREATED, SAYS REPORT LONDON, May 17 A neutral correspondent in Yugoslavia reported to the British United Press on May 7 that 200 Australian, New Zealand, and British prisoners at Nish were being well treated. The correspondent had visited their camp. He said a Sydney sergeant told him the Australians there took part in the Nile Army's advance on Benghazi (Libya) in January, and later formed part of a small rearguard party in Greece. In Greece, German tanks cut them off from, the main body of Empire troops while they were covering the main retirement. A neutral correspondent of the British, United Press at Corinth (south Greece) said last Tuesday that 9553 British, Australian, New Zealand, and Indian troops were in a prison camp there. The correspondent said the oamp commandant had told him they would soon bo taken to Germany because of an acute food shortage in Greece. BOMBED FOR 17 DAYS SMALL BOAT FROM GREECE (Reed. 10.30 p.m.) CAIRO, May 18 A small Greek schooner has arrived at Alexandria with four British .officers, six privates and two Greek noncommissioned officers. Probably the last to come out of Greece, the ship had survived 17 days of German bombing in extremely bad weather. CAVALRY SWORDS' FATE 10,000 FOR NEW MUNITIONS LONDON. May 10 Ten thousand cavalry swords have been released by the War Office for the Ministry of Supply's scrap metal campaign, and will be converted without delay into new munitions, says a British official wireless message. The swords and scabbards sent forward under this arrangement weigh 22 1-3 tons. NEWS BROADCAST AIRMEN IN CANADA OTTAWA, May 16 The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation announced to-day the innuguration of an Anzac newsletter broadcast, which will be given each Sunday, for the benefit of Australian and New Zealand air trainees. [