MR ROOSEVELT’S SPEECH

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21525, 13 September 1941, Page 8

MR ROOSEVELT’S SPEECH

AMERICAN ARMS FOR BRITAIN AXIS HURLS ABUSE AT PRESIDENT BIG DAY FOR THE DEMOCRATIC CAUSE (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 13. 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 12 President Roosevelt’s speech and its developments, including a report that 300 United States naval units are already carrying out the President’s order, overshadow all else in the news today. The British views of the importance of the speech are supported by the anger of the Axis radios, which hurled abuse at the President throughout the night. \ erbatim translations of the speech have been broadcast through all European transmissions. The Express says: “ The President’s declaration is an immense step in the business of getting American arms to Britain. Today is a big day for the democratic cause —a decisive day of the war.” The Daily Chronicle says: “The United States is definitely nearer open war. Mr Roosevelt’s order means that four-fifths of the Atlantic is closed to Axis operations, except at the directly-invited risk of being shot at by American warships and planes.”

Abuse From Axis The Standard says: “The torpedo fired at the Greer changed the whole lace of the war. Mr Roosevelt leads America with great audacity. Oui response must be more audacity.” According to a Rome message the Stefani Agency stated: “The world has learned details of the speech with stupor. Mr Roosevelt pretends to extend the limits of American protective waters wherever he thinks fit, even into zones already proclaimed war zones by the Axis.” The Berlin radio gave a most abbreviated version of the speech, interladen with bitter comment: “Mr Roosevelt has the insolence to demand that the Axis permit the United States to supply England and Russia with war material. He is making the United States people ripe for ■war.” The official spokesman at Berlin refused to discuss Mr Roosevelt’s broadcast. The first comment from Berlin on President Roosevelt’s speech states that the next decision has been taken from the hands of the United States and will be decided by the German Government. One spokesman today abused Mr Roosevelt personally and said that he was not only behind Poland’s attack on Germany but that he incited Britain to declare war on Germany and also had a hand in the intrigues in the Balkans. Signor Gayda, the Italian spokesman, told the Italian public that Italian warships had been given orders to sink American vessels on sight. Effect In Middle East Comment in Cairo emphasises the fignificance of the speech to the Middle East operations. The opinion is expressed fhat the declaration will release more units of the Royal Navy from the Atlantic and facilitate the flow of supplies to the Middle East. Well-informed circles at Zurich interpret the speech as implying that Mr Roosevelt is reassured about Japan. COMMENT IN AMERICA DRAWING NEAR IVAR "SHOULD GO FARTHER” i United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 13, 3.15 p.m.) * NEW YORK, Sept. 12 The ex-Chief of United States Naval Operations, Rear-Admiral Stirling, considers that Mr Roosevelt’s order to the fleet to shoot at sight covers the Pacific as well as the Atlantic. The order would probably involve limited patrol routes from America to Australia, from Australia to Singapore, India and Africa. American forces would work in very close co-operation with Britain and her Allies, which meant that United States ships would use British and Allied bases. General opinion in the United States regarding the President’s speech was that it was virtually a declaration of war. The New York Post, in an editorial, while praising the speech and admiring its restraint and correctness, nevertheless contends that the President should go farther. “We ask for instant action to destroy the Nazi menace once and for all. It remains for the people, if they share the moral judgment against the Nazi system, to impress their views upon the President. We urge them to do this, so that we can free the President to act as we want him to act, by arming him with the expressed majority will.” White House announced that 1600 messages were received overnight on the President’s speech. Only 150 were critical. MENACE TO TURKEY AXIS ATTACK LIKELY (United Pros* Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 12 A message from Rome hints at the possibility of an invasion of Turkey by the Axis. This is stated by the Geneva correspondent of the Daily Mail, who says the message was passed by the Italian censor. The correspondent says the message adds: “The Russian resistance was as great a surprise to the Germans as to the rest of the world, and their terrific effort will necessitate a long pause throughout the winter. Petrol transport has proved infinitely more difficult for the Germans across Pu. sia than any other part of the front, and the only alternative is oow a drive acusi Turkey.’*

NO YIELDING SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT RIGHTS ON HIGH SEAS (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright; NEW YORK, Sept. 12 “Mr Roosevelt spoke words we believe the country was waiting to hear,” says the New York Times. “There will be no yielding to Hitler’s threats and no surrender of American rights on the high seas. The Navy’s guns are now at the ready. This is the platform to which the President has nailed the flag of the United States. We are certain the American people will rally to his support.”

The Herald-Tribune says: “There will be no doubt about the overwhelming relief, the new confidence, the new purpose and the unity with which the people of the United States will see evasions thus cleared away. The plain facts have been announced, the situation has been crystallised as it actually exists, and their nation’s policy has been placed on that firm foundation which is the best—and the only possible—answer to the horror and menace into which Hitlerism has plunged the world.” Senator Tom Connally, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said: “I hope our destroyers will shoot hard and straight.” The chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr Sol Bloom, said: “Mr Roosevelt is on eternally solid ground when he declares the American flag must be protected wherever it flies.” Challenge Must Be Met Senator Elbert Thomas said: “Unrestricted submarine or air warfare is a challenge which must be met. The President’s speech was many weeks overdue.” Mr Roosevelt’s speech was attacked by a non-interventionist, Senator Guy Gilette, as a declaration of war, but Mr Wendell Willkie and other supporters of the Administration, vigorously praised the new policy. Mr Willkie said: “No man can say whether this will involve the United

whether this will involve the United States in the war, but any thoughtful person knows that if the President were less firm a disastrous war would be inevitable. This is the time for all Americans to rally to the President’s support. I hope Hitler understands that whatever may be the divergent views in the United States on other questions, the people are united in their support of the President in this crisis.” Senator Gerald Nye, the isolationist leader, said: “The new policy means convoys, in spite of the law, putting us a whole lot closer to a shooting war by Presidential proclamation.” Order To Attack In New York the interpretation of Mr Roosevelt’s speech is that the United States armed forces have been ordered to attack, without waiting to be attacked, any Axis warship in American defensive waters.

Rear-Admiral Yates Stirling states that probably hundreds of American warships are already engaged in carrying out the President’s orders. He envisages patrols on the Britain : and South African routes, in the l Pacific to Vladivostok, and on the ' routes to Rangoon and the Red Sea. i He adds that a limited patrol may be | necessary to Australia, then to ! Singapore, India and African ports, j Some observers in Washington be- , lieve that the area covered by Mr ; Roosevelt’s declaration will include ! those regions where the United States | has military bases, such as the Ber- ; mudas, the Caribbean and the ' Panama Canal area. ! The London commentator, Mr ■ Cyril Lakin, said that Hitler must now decide whether he is going to allow a great flow of Lease-Lend materials to cross the Atlantic, or bring the United States into the war. German Comment '‘Roosevelt has vne cheek to demand that Germany and Italy should permit the United States to supply Britain and Russia with supplies j without German opposition,” states

, a German broadcast. The announcer • added that the whole of the Presi- ! dent’s speech was an endeavour to place the blame on Germany at the outset and give the United States an i excuse for war.