TO DUTCH COLONY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24132, 26 November 1941, Page 7

TO DUTCH COLONY

AMERICAN EXPEDITION PROTECTION OF MINES VITAL ALUMINIUM OUTPUT (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 By agreement with the Netherlands Government, an American military force has been sent to Surinam (Netherlands Guiana), which lies between British Guiana and French Guiana, on the northern coast of South America. In a statement issued from the White House, the information was (given that the bauxite mines of Surinam furnish upward of 60 per cent of the requirements of the United States aluminium industry, which is vital to the defence of«the western hemisphere and to nations resisting aggression. It is, therefore, necessary that the safety of these niines he as completely assured as present conditions demand. Effect of Pacific Crisis Normally, the White House declared, the Netherlands Government would draw upon its forces in the Netherlands East Indies to strengthen the defences of Guiana, but, in view of the present situation in the ( south-western Pacific, it was thought inadvisable to follow that course. As the result of consultations with the Netherlands Government, it was agreed that an American Army contingent should go to Surinam to co-operate with the Netherlands forces. Senator Tom Connally, chairman of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressing approval of the Surinam expedition, said: "I think we shall have to take over Martinique and French Guiana also, if the Vichy Government continues to succumb to Nazi influence." "Tentacles of Hitler" The President of the Netherlands Council of Ministers in London, Dr. Gerbrandy, in a broadcast to the Dutch people, said co-operation in Surinam was a necessity because the insidious, treacherous tentacles of Hitler and his accessories reached out everywhere, especially to South America, to find weak spots. Dr. Gerbrandy added that the arrangement for American military co-operation in Surinam did not touch the absolute sovereignty of the Netherlands. Military co-operation would cease when there was no longer any danger. The Netherlands authorities disclose that only recently Netherlands troops arrived in Netherland Guiana to reinforce the troops already there. Cooperation between Britain, the United States, Australia and the Netherlands is now complete for any event which may occur in that part of the world. Surinam, or Netherlands Guiana, a territory about 54,300 square miles in area, lies between British and French Guiana. Its population, estimated at 173,000 in 1938, is a mixture of many races, including 2000 of European birth, 68,000 native-born white people, 44,000 British Indians, and 32,000 Netherlands Indians, .mostly Javanese. The bauxite, which the United States i is concerned to safeguard, is the chief of Surinam's exports. Production in 1939 amounted to 504,000 tons. The mining of it is controlled by a subsidiary of the Aluminium Company of America. The trade of Surinam as a whole, under normal conditions, is mainly with Holland and the United ' States. In 1937, 37 per cent of the imports into the country were from Holjand, 23 per cent from the United [■ States, and 9 per cent from the United Kingdom. Of the exports, 66 per cent went to the United States and 22 per - cent to the Netherlands, all these pro--3 portions being by value. r The principal port, Paramaribo, has , a harbour capable of taking ships of 19ft. draught. In normal times, there J are regular steamship services with the 5 United States and Europe. American - air services to Argentina have also called regularly at Paramaribo. ; SINKING OF U-BOAT 7 ■ SUCCESS FOR CORVETTES ' (Reed. 7.40 p.m.) OTTAWA, Nov. 24 , The British Admiralty has informed k the Canadian Navy Minister, Mr. Macdonald, that two" Canadian corvettes sank a German submarine in the North Atlantic, taking prisoner 47 members of the crew. J The vessels, the Chambly and the Moose Jaw, were escorting a convoy. * The Chambly attacked the U-boat with i depth-charges, forcing it to come tc the surface. The Moose Jaw opened fire. 3 but after a single round the crew ~ abandoned the U-boat, which then sank. NEW SUB-MACHINE-GUN J - AUSTRALIAN SETTLEMENT I SYDNEY, Nov. 21 v The Army has withdrawn all majoi e demands for changes in the construed tion of the Owen sub-machine-gun. This ' is the outcome of the conference callec t by the Minister of the _ Army, Mr e Forde, to settle differences of opinior t between the army on the one side anc s the inventor and manufacturers on th< t other. t A few minor changes, the advan d tages of which were conceded by Mr e Owen, the inventor, will be discussec n with army experts and manufacturers o Ful production is expected at an earb date.