AMERICA DISTURBED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26717, 11 March 1948, Page 7

AMERICA DISTURBED

INCREASING PRESSURE IN EUROPE Rec. 9 p.m. NEW YORK, Mar. 9.. American military authorities in Germany have abandoned their earlier belief that the world would be relatively safe from war for at least years. The Secretary of Defence, Mr James Forrestal, and his three subCabinet secretaries for the army, navy, and air force told this to a closed meeting of the Senate Armed Services Committee, reports the United Press correspondent in Washington. They are reported to have painted a grim picture of heightened pressure in Europe, and the navy man is said to have cited disturbing figures on Russian submarine strength. Their testimonies spurred the committee to call immediate open hearings on a Universal Military Training Bill. Aid Bill Speeded Up Against a background of open talk of possible war with Russia, Senate and House leaders to-day decided to speed up the passage of the European Recovery Bill, now before Senate. Senate will meet on Saturday, and will possibly hold night sessions on Thursday and Friday. It is only under exceptional circumstances that Senate convenes at week-ends or at night. House leaders are also trying to find ways to overcome delays. Senate, which is now in the second week of the debate, plans to vote before March 15. The Secretary of Commerce. Mr Averell Harriman, told the Senate Finance Committee: “Delay over European aid is causing serious repercussions. Time is running against us.” Marshall Plan Attacked Senator Glen Taylor (Idaho), a former Democrat and now a Wallace Party candidate for the Vice-presi-dency, charged in the Senate that the Marshall Plan was an attempt to line up allies for war with Russia. Senator Taylor, attacking the European recovery programme, declared: “This piece of legislation is vicious, because it makes infinitely more remote the possibility of reversing the present trend towards war. I think it stupid because I do not believe it will buy the friendship of Western European nations. I believe all help should be channelled through the United Nations,” he said. Security to Censorship The United States Government is so alarmed about the leakages of information vital to the country's defences that it has proposed a voluntary censorship scheme to check the publication of information which could be valuable to a potential enemy. Representatives of newspapers, news agencies, newsreels and broadcasters have discussed the problem with Mr Forrestal and other high defence officials. Mr Forrestal told them he was concerned at present with the security of technical information and facts about new weapons and new military techniques. He proposed an advisory council of civilians, under which an information service would be established. Newsmen would be able to check with this service on “security sensitivity ” of any news item, but no penalties would be attached if the advice were ignored.