CAMPAIGN OF HATE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19885, 11 March 1939, Page 6

CAMPAIGN OF HATE

ITALY AND GERMANY DEMOCRACIES ASSAILED LONDON, March 2. Italian and German newspapers are keeping up a "campaign of hate" against the democracies. They are linking up President Roosevelt's declaration of sympathy with the European democracies, Mr. Neville Chamberlain's pledge of assistance to France in defence of her vital interests, the Italian demand for terri* torial concessions at the expense of France, and Britain's latest rearmament programme. Since Mr. Chamberlain gave his pledge to France on February 2, "the Italian press has regarded Britain as an enemy, says the Rome correspondent of The Times, and no longer refers to iMr. Chamberlain's determination to work for peace. The papers link Britain, France and the United States as a menace, and are taking every opportunity to deprecate Britain's national effort, an attitude which the Government does not discourage. The Government issued to all newspapers as a communique an extract from the French newspaper. Excelsior, recording the "failure" of Britain's voluntary enlistment. In Germany, says the Berlin correspondent of The Times, the Government does not regard the European situation as being satisfactory. It dislikes the "armoured front." which it thinks the United .States is encouraging Britain and France to show against the totalitarian Powers' demands. However, if a crisis is pending, says the correspondent, the German Government does not appear to have taken precautions, and observers in Germany are not aware of abnormal training of reservists.

The News-Chronicle's Berlin correspondent, on the other hand, says that men in the German Army, Navy and Air Force find it impossible to secure leave after February, and shipping companies are (reluctant to book passages to the United States after March.