ANXIETY IN U.S.A.

Southland Times, Issue 23652, 29 October 1938, Page 7

ANXIETY IN U.S.A.

GERMAN CLAIMS IN AFRICA POSSIBLE NEARNESS OF NAZISM ROOSEVELT’S SPEECH NOT PUBLISHED IN BERLIN (United Press Assn. —Telegraph Copyright) (Received October 28, 9.50 pm.) NEW YORK, October 28. The talk in Europe that Germany may be given colonies in West Africa is arousing anxiety at Washington, says the correspondent of the Associated Press. If the Reich had any of the numerous small colonies lining the western bulge of Africa her road to South America would be made much easier.

The New York Times, referring to the speech on foreign policy by the President (Mr Franklin D. Roosevelt), says: “There are two irreconcilable ideas in the views which the President has stated. They are his appeal to Herr Hitler to settle peacefully the Czech problem and now his strictures, obviously aimed at Herr Hitler. These reflect the uncertainty of American foreign policy.”

The German Press has been instructed not to publish Mr Roosevelt’s speech. An abbreviated account of the speech is published in Rome. Those well informed state that the Government is sympathetic with the suggestion for a disarmament conference, but objects to Mr Roosevelt’s blaming the totalitarian Powers ,for the rearmament fever. The Assistant-Secretary of the Navy (Mr Charles Edison), in a Navy Day address which was officially declared to represent Mr Roosevelt’s views, insisted that it was extremely doubtful if dependence could any longer be placed on international agreements for national security. The ideal of collective security had unfortunately suffered one terrible blow after another, and there was ample and just cause to be alarmed at the dangerous potentialities of the world situation.

“America needs a navy'that can defeat any probable enemy or probable combination of' enemies,” said Mr Edison. He expressed pride in the existing American Navy, with its amazingly gratifying gunnery results and the morale of the men, but he said: “The country knows that the existing fleet is inadequate and has demanded an increased building programme.” Mr Edison said that Mr Roosevelt had anticipated the present world conditions by beginning the present building programme five years ago. “Should the United States again be engaged in war there is no assurance that our allies will operate and hold the enemy in check until we are able properly to mobilize industry in support of our war effort.”