GOOD AS IN WAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 43, 20 February 1941, Page 5

GOOD AS IN WAR

THE UNITED STATES “PREPARING FOR IT’’ (By Telegraph—Frees Association—Copyright] WASHINGTON, Feb. 18. The Secretary of Commerce, Mr. Jesse Jones, addressing the House banking committee said: “The United States is in the war, or at least nearly in. and is preparing for it.” President Roosevelt has issued executive orders establishing naval defence areas around Alaskan, Pacific and Caribbean sites where new defence bases may be located, including the islands of Palmyra, Johnson, Midway, Wake, Kingman Reef, Rose, Tutuila and Guam. The orders close these areas to commercial vessels and prohibit non-military aircraft from flying over them. Home Defence Programmes Mr. Roosevelt said that he would announce within a week a home defence programme, outlining a plan whereby every man and woman would be enabled to make a contribution to defence. He said that the I nited States destroyer production had been greatly speeded up. The navy at present was geared to produce destroyers in 12 to 15 months instead of 20 to 30 as before. As a result of Mr. Roosevelt’s discussions with Mr. Harry Hopkins (who was Mr. Roosevelt’s representative in Britain) the Agricultural Department has started a survey to determine what food supplies could be sent abroad in the event of Mr. Roosevelt deciding to make the United States a larder for the Democracies. Not Impressed With Japanese Words Informed U.S.A, officials regard Japanese statements professing a desire for peace throughout the world as designed to allay recent high tension over Japanese movements in the Pacific. Indications were, however, that the United States has no intention of deviating from its previously announced policy toward Japan. It was asserted to-day that before the United States could relax deeds must accompany Japanese words. In the words of Mr. Sumner Welles, Assistant Secretary of State: “The United States is far more interested in the deeds of other nations than in the statements their spokesmen may make.”