| Show NEWS BEH BEHIND I NO THE NEWS By Ray Tucker Telegrams Telegram's Washington Columnist W WASHINGTON WASHINGTON- N William C. C Bullitt was vas the principal proponent proponent pro pro- of General John J. J Pershing as American ambassador dor to Vichy The commander of the A. A E. E F. F originally accepted accepted ac ac- ac- ac but was forced to reconsider reconsider reconsider recon recon- sider on the advice of three phy phy- Intimate knowledge of the Frenchmen who constitute the Vichy regime lay behind Mr Bullitts Bullitt's suggestions Before leaving France he was promised promised promised prom prom- by Marshal Petain that the latter would never submit willingly willingly will will- ingy to the naz of all France At the same time the French general made clear that he faced insurmountable difficulties difficulties in resisting more onerous demands from Berlin He intimated intimated intimated inti inti- mated that it would be helpful if London and arid Washington gave moral support to the French peoples people's peoples people's peo peo- ples pies in instinctive and underlying hatred of their conquerors It was thought that the Pershing Pershing Pershing ing appointment would meet this requirement It was felt that he who had once served as a in comrade-in-arms with Petain would exert an excellent psychological effect not only on the marshal but also on the French themselves Pershing Perching would have been a living symbol sym sym- bol and bol-and and memory memory of of World war ties between the western powers powers powers pow pow- ers and France The White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House picked Admiral Leahy after making a quiet hunt for fora a similar figure but nobody pretends pretends pre pre- tends he possesses Pershing's special qualifications The recent and forthcoming Dies revelations of foreign activIties activities activities ac ac- ac- ac in iii this country amount to a diplomatic squeeze play staged by the congressional committee committee com corn and the state department Despite an understandable official official official cial silence Cordell Hull sympathizes sympathizes sympathizes wholeheartedly with the expose Mr Dies submitted his evidence evidence evidence evi evi- evi- evi dence and exhibits to Mr Hull before he began the publication of his white papers So the secretary of state knew beforehand beforehand beforehand before before- hand the disclosures concerning the behavior of foreign officials with whose home countries we have friendly relations Our aerial observers abroad report that Hitler's new attack on Britain represents deliberate deliberate deliberate de de- de- de liberate strategy planned long ago with fine but fiendish fore fore- sight To our experts it constitutes constitutes constitutes a far more menacing threat than censored dispatches reveal For months according to this view der fuehrer concentrated on London and outlying areas Thus he drew Britain's antiaircraft antiaircraft craft defenses ses in toward the capi capi- tal To shift them hurriedly to new and distant centers of at attack attack attack at- at tack is no easy task and serious serious serious seri seri- ous shortages apparently leave these later targets fairly ered There is evidence that the resistance and counterattacks counterattacks counterattacks tacks at both bath Coventry and Birmingham were feeble It is isas isas isas as if a hostile commander forced us to mobilize our best stuff over New York and then diverted his onslaughts against the industrial industrial industrial indus indus- trial areas of New England New Jersey and Pennsylvania The R. R A. A F. F is said to be su superior superior superior su- su to the Germans in planes and personnel The British airmen's airmen's airmen's air air- mens men's performances c command the admiration of our watchers here and overseas But they are heavily short handed by comparison with German might and American shipments are farbelow farbelow far farbelow below expectations It is doubtful doubtful doubt doubt- ful if II Britain is getting more than planes monthly from the United States even on a 50 basis Official figures do not support denials by White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House spokesmen that W P A rolls were not increased in the few weeks before the the voting But they do indicate that charges of political padding for the sake of influencing votes were From August to November of 1936 a 1936 a presidential year year the the total employed on W VT P o A-o A op projects jumped by For the same period in theof theoff the theoff off of year of 1938 the number was boosted by There was also evidence that the increases became effective in those states where new deal candidates needed needed need need- eu ed artificial stimulants By contrast the upping be be- tween August and November 6 of this year was only I They occurred in southern states where the Democrats were so sure of winning that no outside help was needed And the largest largest largest larg larg- est increase in any anyone one state state- Illinois was Illinois was less than 1000 The late Colonel Harrington and Acting Acting Acting Act Act- ing Administrator Howard Hunter Hunt Hunt- er have apparently placed the theW theW theW W P A on as nonpartisan a basis as humanly possible though the advantage accruing from support support support sup sup- port of o-f people cannot be denied Great Britain is extremely anxious to obtain Irish ports as submarine bases but dares not seize them for fear of an adverse reaction in the United States It is one of the hottest potatoes the British foreign office has handed to President Roosevelt and Cordell Hull Irish President de Valera refuses re refuses refuses re- re fuses to supply such aid to Great Britain Eire he insists intends to remain neutral and it would be a violation of neutrality to let the British utilize his country's country's country's coun coun- try's bases De Valeras Valera's attitude attitude attitude atti atti- tude saddles the British with a serious handicap in their sea war against Germany But Churchill Church Church- ill does not dare try to take these ports by violence lest the Irish resist and the attempt end in a bloody clash that would antagonize antagonize onize powerful elements in the United States The question has figured in diplomatic exchanges between Washington and London Although Although Although Al Al- though the administration appreciates appreciates appreciates Churchill's dilemma it has urged him to take it easy An Art uproar over this question might easily lead to shutting of off oU the military and naval assistance assistance assistance assist assist- ance we are now giving the British Cordell Hull has become the fatherly sponsor for more than thana a score of diplomatic refugees forced to seek se-ek a haven in the United States The secretary of state is winking at a technical violation of the immigration laws bat but so far nobody has dared or wanted to cast the first stone at him for his leniency Hitler's conquest of several European countries France Belgium Holland etc has stranded the former r diplomatic representatives of those nations in the United States They were loyal to the former governments governments governments govern govern- ments and if they r returned turned home they would probably be jailed or executed They entered this country legally legally legally-as as diplomats diplomats- but when their diplomatic status expired with the downfall of their governments they had no legal status They should according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to law be deported But since sin the administration does not recognize forceful conquest conquest conquest con con- quest of territory it still re regards regards regards re- re gards the old but discredited diplomats as entitled to a home in the United states Slates They can stay here for lor as long as the emergency lasts But should they return to their home countries countries countries coun coun- tries they will be barred from reentry except as immigrants immigrants- and they must take their place in line at the visa office abroad So for the moment they are men without a country Copyright 1940 McClure McClur Syndicate |
