Crisis May Come Soon

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21866, 20 January 1941, Page 5

Crisis May Come Soon

Ministers Emphasise Need For Urgent Aid

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received January IS, 10.8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, January 18. COLONEL FRANK KNOX, testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on behalf of the Aid to Britain Bill, said: “If the United States does not wish to face the consequences of the establishment in South America of an aggressive military power we should now prevent Germany from overturning British seapower, which holds the Nazis in Europe. It is almost impossible to exaggerate the importance of seapower to us and the entire Western world. The existence of the seapower exercised by Britain and ourserves, both in the Atlantic and the Pacific, has served as a barrier to the acquisitive designs of aggressive Powers.

“The Western world has been safe from attack from Europe because the British Fleet has always stood sentinel there. There are only three exits into the Atlantic from Europe, and British policy accepted and assisted us in maintaining the Monroe Doctrine. Our nation has evolved without particular hindrance from Britain’s control of a large part of the sea, but I believe it would have been different if control were to pass to Germany, If Germany becomes free to move across the ocean for the conquest of new territories, it is most probable she will first move to South America and seize that great storehouse of national wealth. The United States has been successful in maintaining the Monroe Doctrine. Under it the United States has progressed from weakness to strength, and other nations in this hemisphere have been enabled to develop their own civilisations free from the fear of sudden foreign conquest only because of the Support of Britain, whose fleet could prevent overseas aggression from Europe.

“Only during the last 50 years has it become necessary for us to develop a strong navy," said Colonel Knox. “The circumstances that rendered a strong navy essential to our safety were the construction of a German navy to back aggression towards distant lands and Japan’s expansion' into peaceful lands beyond her borders. All doubtless remember that the Great War gave Japan her chance for expansion throughout the islands of the Pacific and remember that this was the occasion of her 21 demands on China. We were able to check Japan’s further aggressions by moving our entire fleet to the Pacific when the conclusion of the war eliminated the German fleet in the Atlantic. Sine? then we have maintained a one ocean navy in the Pacific and this has proved adequate in both * directions only because of the existence and deployment of the British Navy gave us security in the Atlantic. In effect, we and the British Commonwealth actually had a two ocean navy operated for a single peaceful purpose. We still have a one ocean navy. We are building a two ocean navy but it will hot be completed Within six years. We need to complete the structure as fast as we can because the other part of our present two ocean navy is in grave danger. The British Navy can survive only if the British Isles survive. Should the British Isles fall we can only believe that the British Navy, which never runs from danger, will fall at the same time. I think we can safely assume that the British Navy will share the fate of the courageous nation that supports it.” Colonel Knox quoted the Navy Department estimates of the combined Axis naval strength which was 585,000 tons lii excess of the United States. The Axis at present had 658 warships and the United States 312. By January 1942 the Axis would have 803 compared with 324, and In January, 1943, 962 compared with 422. “We need to build shops, train crews, build bases, drill armies, and accumulate war stores. Only Britain and her fleet can give us that time, and they need our help to survive. If we fully organise our mental and material resources we can give Britain that help and simultaneously can build a strong military defence. The cost will be great but it will be far greater Should we now stand by and let Britain fall. With our unstinted help I firmly believe that Britain cannot be defeated. We will act in our own best national interests, therefore, if while increasing our naval power as fast as we can, we provide the British Commonwealth with means to bring her through this tragic crisis." Questioned by Senator Hamilton Fish whether the United States possessed the world's greatest navy, Colonel Knox said the navy unquestionably was now the strongest In the world. He said he did not fear an attack “but I know if Britain is defeated we will be attacked.” He said he would oppose any amendment preventing the use of American ship;: to escort convoys because he did not believe in tying its hands in any way. He did not favour sending American convoys escorted by American warships Into the war zones. “I do not think we can do anything that will do more to increase the morale of the British people than pass this Bill.” Questioned as to the possibility of a crisis in 60 to 90 days Mr Knox said it might come as a result of an intensified combined submarine and air attack or by actual invasion. He added that the committee’s judgment was as good as his on the danger of invasion or the time or the nature of the crisis.

With U.S. Help’’Britain Will Win"

He said the British were imbued with the fighting spirit and he thought the fleet would fight to the last. “I know something of Mr Churchill and I can’t Imagine any order going out from the Admiralty telling the fleet to run away while the fight is still on. I am positive of that.” Colonel Knox denied that the Bill authorised United States convoys. “In my opinion,” he said, "it would be an act of war to convoy ships.” Under questioning as to whether he thought there was any way to beat the Axis without landing large land forces on the Continent, Colonel Knox said: “Yes, I think the probable way they will be defeated won’t be that way. If the British with our help gain air mastery and German cities are being bombed I do not think the Germans will take it like the British. This war will hot end with victorious armies marching into Berlin. I think that the end will come by collapse behind the front.” The Secretary of War (Mr H. L. Stimson) resuming his evidence before the House Foreign Affairs Committee described the reports that the United States might buy the British Fleet it Britain was defeated or allow the British fleet to operate from United States bases as fantastic and preposterous. He explained that the fact that Mr Roosevelt’s BUI Would permit British warships to be repaired and outfitted in American ports did not mean that the ports could be used as C- He was opposed to inserting a clause in the Bill forbidding the United States navy to go to the war zones. Nobody can forsee what situations might arise making it essential for our own defence to send our warships to a war zone,” he said. He likened the proposal made by Representative Tinkham banning the fleet from the war zones to the suggestion that the country ? h ° uld its ? ght lland behind its back All these things are in the nature of shackles which would be put on this country in a great emergency in future of which nobody can forsee" Senator J. M. Vorys asked, "should not the United States have a definite formal agreement about disposition of the British fleet before embarking on the suggested programme?” to which Mr Stimson replied “that was considered most carefully last summer We asked and received the strongest assurances one democracy can give to another, but nothing can be impervious to war. That is Why we feel It is important to prevent Britain from being brought to the breaking point where she might violate all law.” Representative Mundt sought to establish that the United States would be involved in aiding many nations throughout the world, to which Mr Stimson said: “No, only when it is effective for our own defence.” He continued “I cannot over-emphasise the apprehension I feel as to the possibility of a crisis nothin the next 60 or at least 90 days.” He replied in the affirmative to a question whether the aid proposed was necessary to prevent Britain's defeat also, if Britain fell, the United States sooner or later would be involved in war. Mr W. S. Knudsen, a member of the National Defence Advisory Commission, testifying before the Foreign Affairs Committee, said it would be late in 1941 before any great increase of help would flow from the United States to Britain as a result of the Lend and Lease Bill unless the United States draws products from existing facilities. Mr Luther Johnson: Do you think it is necessary for our defence that we give aid to England this time? Mr Knudsen: I do. Mr Lawrence Arnold: If Britain falls, do you think we will eventually

become involved in war with the Axis Powers? Mr Knudsen: I think we Would. Mr Arnold: That in time we would have to fight a war anyway? Mr Knudsen: Yes, sir. Mr Knudsen said he was not fully satisfied with the progress of the defence programme, but it was doing as well as could be expected. “We are doing fairly well but the real showing will not start until tooling is ready and it is coming in now,” he said. It required ten or eleven months to put a new aeroplane into production owing to delays necessitated by changes ffi design. He also said that) current delays would mean that full equipment for an army of 1,200,000 men and heavy equipment for an additional 800,000 could not be achieved before the end of 1942 instead of July, 1942, as scheduled. British orders, he said, at present represent about 35 per cent of American defence production, and he could not estimate the increase in the proportion under the new programme.

Senator Carter Glass said the United States should declare war now. “Personally I would like to see Hitler at the bottom of the sea.” The committee adjourned till Tuesday. The chairman announced that Mr Wendell Willkie Would be unable to testify because he was going to England by ’plane on Wednesday.