DEFENCE OF AMERICA

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21185, 7 August 1940, Page 8

DEFENCE OF AMERICA

MENACE FROM ABROAD i ACTIVITIES OF PRESIDENT (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received August 7, 3.15 p.m.) WASHINGTON, August 6 President Roosevelt, at Hyde Park, revealed plans to organise the home

defence units in 48 States, with world war veterans as the nucleus. It is understood that following Congressional approval he intends to mobilise the National Guard as the first draft of conscripted men and use the Home Guard to undertake the National Guards’ duties of local protection. He said it was unnecessary to comment on Colonel Lindbergh’s speech At a luncheon to a number of South American delegates to the Havana Conference Mr Roosevelt said: “American intercontinental unity is now more nearly a fact than ever. Mr Cordell Hull stated: “It was the strong belief of 21 American Republics at the recent Havana meeting that military or other sinister activities on the part of some nations in other areas of the world present real possibilities of danger to the American Republics. They therefore agreed that full and adequate preparations for continental defence could not be taken too soon if the threatened danger from abroad is to be checked and terminated.” Mr Hull sent a message to the.

' Banking Committee of the House of Representatives proposing an ini crease of 500,000,000 dollars in the i Export and Import Bank’s lending authority, as essential for the defence : of the hemisphere, j “I consider the enactment essential to put the United States in a position to co-operate fully with the other Americas in meeting the urgent needs of economic defence, in face of the threats resulting from sinister developments elsewhere,” he said. Unpatriotic Manufacturers The New York Post gives prominence to a staff writer’s copyright message from Washington asserting that the defence programme has been seriously delayed by the unpatriotic refusal of manufacturers to accept contracts for arms, planes, etc., unless the demand for a profits amortisation and plant expansions is fully met. It declares that there are many cases of plants refusing contracts, though not requiring expansion in order to hold a club over Congress and force acceptance of their demands.