ALL AID FOR BRITAIN URGED BY WENDELL WILLKIE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 37, 13 February 1941, Page 5

ALL AID FOR BRITAIN URGED BY WENDELL WILLKIE

APPEAL FOR UNANIMOUS. VOTE “GERMANY CANNOT SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISH INVASION” DESTROYERS, SHIPS AND BOMBERS ENGLAND’S GREATEST NEED (By Telegraph— Aesociation —Copyright) Received Feb. 12, 5.5 p.m. WASHINGTON, Feb. 11. “If Britain should collapse to-morrow, the United Slates would be in the war within 30 days or within a very short time,” said Mr. Wendell Willkie, testifying before the Senate Foreign Committee on the Lend and Lease Lili. He added that Mr. Churchill told him merchantmen and bombers were Britain’s chief needs which the United States could supply immediately. “My belief is that Germany cannot successfully invade Britain,” Mr. Willkie continued. “If her northern ports can be kept open and supply lines maintained. lam confident Britain can survive the shock of the spring and sumnier campaigns. If she stands through the summer, the effects of our long-range assistance will begin to lie felt.”

Mr. Willkie declared the only way Congress can aid Britain quickly enough is to enact the Administration’s Bill with modi fieations. He urged the United States to provide Britain with five to 10 destroyers monthly. “We should be able to do this /directly and swiftly, in/ ead ol through a rigmarole of dubious legalistic interpretations,” he continue! He suggested that aid under the Bill should be limited to the British Commonwealth, Greece and China, be cause these were the only countries tu present subject to aggression, bu' Congress should retain the power to pass upon any aid for others becoming subject to aggression. He also urged a time limit to the Bill and that Congress should retain the power to ter minate. by joint resolution, the President’s extraordinary authority unde, the Bill.

"I have gone to the full limit °f my conscience in supporting the Administration’s foreign policy, because of my great desire for national unity,” said Mr, Willkie. “I have wanted to see America stand united before the world as the friend of all. fighting for liberty as the despiser of all aggressors and despoilers of democratic way. It would be truly inspiring for us and for libertylovers everywhere if this Bill could be adopted with a nonpartisan, almost unanimous, vote.” Credits Not Enough. Mr. Willkie rejected suggestions that Congress should provide billions of dollars in credits. He said he did not feel that credits alone would provide effective and immediate aid that was necessary. "The problem is rattier an immediate disposition of certain equipment, much of which cannot be purchased because it is owned by the United States Government,” he said. " Under its domestic laws at present enforced, the United States is unable to deliver such equipment to a belligerent will) cumbersome, lengthy subterfuge. If we do adopt the policy of aid to Britain, above all it is necessary to make this aid effective. Rendering ineffective aid would be disastrous. It would give Hitler just as good a pretext against us as effective aid, but if our aid is ineffective Britain may go down.” Destruction of Shipping. Mr. Willkie said Britain's greatest hazard is the destruction of snipping. It was essential that not only the northern ports, through which Britain chiefly breathes, should be kept open,

but she must be kept supplied with enough shipping to meet her people s and her military procurement piogramrnes. Britain needs still more destroyers. ' Merchantmen were crossing the Atlantic without nearly enough protection, sometimes a couple of destroyers protecting 30 to 40 ships. If we make destroyers available to Britain they should be reconditioned in United States yards,” he added. "The 50 destroyers delivered recently were extremely valuable, but owing to congestion and shortage of mechanics, Britain has found it a difficulty reconditioning all simultaneously.” Immediate and Long Term Both. He said Britain’s needs were both immediate and long term, the lattei including aeroplanes, munitions am. ships largely on order in the United States, but the United States might be many months before her efforts began to show significant results. Destroyers were an example of the kind of thing Britain needs but whicn it was difficult, indeed impossible, to obtain through mere granting of credits. The United States aircraft programme would provide a little help in 1941, but would not begin to give Britain air supremacy until 1941. The hope is

that, with the fulfilment of long tern requirements, Britain would obtait complete supremacy over Germany but Britain may not hold out ionj enough to use those future materials and weapons unless she was certain oi her immediate requirements being fulfilled, and these have a most direct bearing on the Bill. Mr. Willkie added that he saw piteous, heartrending destruction in northern industrial towns, but the damage to productive facilities was relatively small. Isolationist Contentions. Arguing against isolationist contentions that the United States should not concern herself with anyone beyond American shores, Mr. Willkie believed such a policy would inevitably result ill the destruction of United States liberties, the loss of freedom and eventually war. "If we isolate ourselves,” he said. “Britain may have great difficulty in surviving. None can say at present whether or not Britain can win, but we know that if she is defeated, the totalitarians’ control of the world may also control the Atlantic, under which circumstances Germany would probably make a drive, whether economic or military, against Latin America. Perhaps Japan may drive southwards to the East Indies, thyis tbe United States anti Canada would be ringed by totalitarians using totalitarian trade methods unfriendly towards the United States and not reluctant lor fight. Such a calamity would have two results: firstly, in order to compete with those Powers, we have to adopt totalitarian control by losing out liberty here at home; secondly,, and eventually, we must be drawn into war against one or more of those Powers. Tney would so cramp, hinder or infringe upon us that we would be forced to fight. In that event we would be lighting alone a different battle in the same way as Britain is now fighting.” Mr. Willkie defined United States aid for Britain as meaning "not to work for Britain, but with Britain defend an area of freedom." Mr. Willkie stressed that while he favoured the Bill he was opposed to undue concentration of power in the chief executive? He added: "Personally I would prefer to see Congress instruct the President to lend or lease these things. I much prefer to have the impetus come from Congress than from the executive.” Friendly Captured Democracies. Mr. Willkie, replying to question?, said if he was a Congressman ne would oppose a declaration of war now. He added that if American aid to Britain was effective the United States would be able to influence the type of peace finally written. He explained that the "captured democracies,” including Finland, Estonia and Latvia would be freed if the United States tipped the scales in favour of Britain. , Mr. Willkie has accepted an invitation to report personally to the President, Mr. Franklin Roosevc.t, after he testified before Hie committee.