Criticism of Britain By American Press Greatly Intensified

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26783, 28 May 1948, Page 5

Criticism of Britain By American Press Greatly Intensified

New Zealand Press Association—Copyright Rec. 11 p.m. WASHINGTON, May 26. Britain is now receiving a worse press drubbing than at any time since the fall of Tobruk in 1942, according to British officials whose duties include surveys of American public opinion. They point out that the American newspaper criticism of Britain’s aid to the Transjordan Legion is almost nation-wide. Britain’s explanations or reasons for her actions are given no great display and where published at all are dismissed as “legalistic and hair-splitting.” The officials say that while there is no doubt of the breadth of the campaign the main attacks are confined to the eastern seaboard and Detroit and Chicago. The attacks are largely emotional and the issue is seldom weighed against the possibility of the United States becoming directly involved in the Middle East conflict. Press surveys also show that virtually the only British newspaper quoted here is the Manchester Guardian, which is most critical of the present British Government policy. Scant attention is given to Sir Stafford Cripps’s 'remarks dismissing the widespread American allegations that Britain helped the Arabs with Marshall Plan money. Sir Stafford pointed out that the allegations were obviously false because Britain had not yet received either supplies or funds from the Marshall Plan, but even the New York Times, which is usually proBritish, gave Sir Stafford only two paragraphs on page five. Soviet ambitions in the Middle East, which a few weeks ago filled whole columns in American newspapers, are now being almost completely overlooked.