ATTITUDE OF U.S.A.

Southland Times, Issue 24167, 2 July 1940, Page 6

ATTITUDE OF U.S.A.

Help For Allies

SURVEY MADE BY NEWSPAPER

The Sunday issue of The New York Times declares that the United States is almost wholly behind the Allies and believes that every possible aid short of an expeditionary force should be rendered as soon as possible. The exception is a small minority of isolationists and die-hard politicians. The New York Times asked its correspondents in eight representative cities of the United States to describe the sentiment and recent shifts of opinion among the people of their sections on the questions of America’s role and the war.

A full page is devoted to the replies, which also establish the fact that there is a fast-growing group which is advocating intervention by the United States. There is a larger body favouring conscription, and 100 per cent, support for President Roosevelt’s defence programme. From Boston it is stated that the United States should send every help within its power, with the exception of troops, repeal the Johnston Act, and circumvent, if necessary, the laws preventing the despatch of supplies of certain war materials.

“Let Americans volunteer for foreign service. Hurry, hurry, hurry.” That is the sentiment of all the New England section today, and the tide is rising. From Atlanta: “There is no mistaking the thoughts of the south-east United States, which is 97 per cent. Ameri-can-born people. They are demanding with amazing unanimity that material aid should be given to the Allies, whatever quantities are needed, without restriction or reservation or respect for the Acts and statutes of neutrality.’,’

20,000 PEOPLE CHEER From Chicago: “A survey of the central-west indicates a growing general feeling of approval of President Roosevelt’s plans for helping the Allies. For example 20,000 people attending the Flag Day pageant cheered Senator Pepper’s plea that the United States should serve notice that by all means short of actual war she would lend aid to the Allies.” The State of Indiana favours hid for the Allies and compulsory military training. The people of Ohio, lowa and Michigan are agreeing wholeheartedly to giving aid abroad and providing defence at home at any cost. From St. Paul: “North-west States suddenly changing from luke-warm, pro-Ally, neutrality to a policy of ‘Send the Allies everything but men. Smaller groups tend to accept the entry of the United States into the conflict.” From Omaha: “This section of the west freely expresses willingness to aid the Allies. Agricultural groups suggest credits and surplus farm products. People believe that breaches of the neutrality laws are safer than non-ex-tension of aid. Many young men are ready to accept conscription. Most express anger against Hitler and Mussolini.”

From Dallas: “An overwhelming demand for aid for the Allies has risen in the southwest almost overnight. So strongly is the pro-Allied sentiment and

so fearful are the people of the dangers to the United States if Hitler wins that many believe sentiment might be changed to a demand for direct participation if it is thought that American soldiers could arrive in time to save England and France.” From San Francisco: “All indices ot public opinion show that a big majority of people on the West Coast approves of President Roosevelt’s plans to send planes, munitions and so on. The entrance of Italy whipped the anger of the people whitehot. Newspaper polls show a four to one support for conscription.” . From Portland (Oregon): “The bastions of this fortress of isolationism are crumbling and now the Pacific northwest is enthusiastically pro-Ally. Japan’s likely role in the international crisis figures largely in the calculations.” WIDENING BLOCKADE The shock of the fall of Paris and its implications have stunned American officialdom, but nobody in the Government admits that the war has been lost, states the Washington correspondent of The New York Times. . On the contrary, he states, it is argued that the French army, if held together, can check the German advance and that months must elapse before an attack upon Britain can be developed with force. Nevertheless, the far-reaching consequences conjured up by the fall of Paris have had an immediate effect upon the American outlook and the attitude of the Government. A long-range view of the war is now superseding the short-view and there are three schools of thought on what should be done. “The first of these, which is the most authoritative school, demands that the war of blockade against Germany be immediately strengthened and widened,” states the correspondent. “This implies that the British and French should save their fleets at all costs, that the entrances to the Mediterranean should be blocked, and that all seaborne commerce with German-oc-cupied territories should be cut. "This implies the full co-operation of the United States and would mean a form of economic and military collaboration with Latin America, in which we would buy up all the products they normally sell to Europe. “In the second place, some members of the administration think that President Roosevelt has already gone too far. They believe that he should confine his efforts to defence.

“The third school of thought is that of the growing minority which urges open support for the Allies by a declaration of war. They point out that this would not involve the risk of attack or necessitate an expeditionai"y force, but that 100 aeroplanes sent with such a declaration would do more damage than 1000 sent by a non-belliger-ent.”