STATEMENTS DENIED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24142, 8 December 1941, Page 8

STATEMENTS DENIED

CRITICISM OF AMERICANS BRITISH VISITOR'S INTERVIEW (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) NEW YORK. Dec. 8

The Journal-American in a front-page story publishes an interview -with the noted English biologist, Professor Julian Huxley, who arrived from England on a lecture tour. It said: "Professor Huxley made his bow to the American people with this utterance, 'Personally I hop® Japan won't back down. Then you'll be forced to go to war with her next week. Then you can get this business of arguing with yourselves finished. " 'ln just one day here I'm dumbfounded at America's ignorance and complacency. These non-interventionists and the influence they exert dumbfounded me.' "

Professor Huxley, when interviewed later, denied the paper's statements, which he characterised as shameful distortions and inaccuracies. He is issuing a formal repudiation through the official British press service. Obviously upset he denied that he said he was dumbfounded by America's ignorance. "What I said was there appeared to be much ignorance regarding social changes in Britain," he added. "Regarding Japan I said that if the United States was involved in war with Japan I thought it would result in unification of morale and stimulate production. I never said I hoped there would be war."

It is notable that other reports of Professor Huxley's interview with a group of newspapermen are entirely innocuous.