Show r I l f News Behind the News From New York Y and Washington h I. I Telegram Correspondents P Examination of the transcripts transcripts transcripts tran tran- scripts of ot F DRs DR's D Rs R's remarks at several historic press conferences conferences confer confer- I reveals the strategy he he I will pursue In the face of continued continued continued con con- nazi of U. U S. S cargo and naval craft He has declared unequivocally for an undeclared war until there shall have been created sufficient sufficient dent belligerent sentiment to permit formal action by con con- gress The presidents president's discussion of this subject at a conference last March was particularly illuminating il illuminating il- il in view of current attacks by German bles bies Mr Roosevelt's anno ment that ou out out- vessels W would o 0 u 1 d carry goods to the Suez canal area precipitated the airing of his views In citing precedent nt for our right to maintain freedom freedom free ree- ree dom bf of the seas which he said we had abandoned by passage of ot the original neutrality act the president pointed out that we had fought two undeclared wars on behalf of that tradition tion the tion-the the 1798 conflict w with wIt I t h France and Decatur's punishment punishment punishment punish punish- ment of the Barbary pirates The correspondents apparently apparently apparently were misled by F DRs DR's D Rs R's reference to freedom of the seas He was talking of methods methods meth meth- necessary to uphold that right while they were thinking of the principle itself State department experts have professed to be at a loss to explain Hitler's submarine challenge to the United States In view of his reputed unwillingness unwillingness ll- ll to take us on until he has disposed of his present major major major ma ma- jor foes Der fuehrer frequently frequent frequent- ly has said that the kaisers kaiser's great blunder was provoking this country into the World war Now in our diplomats' diplomats opinion opinion ion Hitler believes the t time I 1 m e ehas ehas has come to force this country into the role of an active bel bel- He seeks also to persuade persuade persuade per per- suade Rome and Tokyo to adopt a program which w will I I 1 transform them into formal enemies enemies enemies ene ene- mies of the United States By sinking our ships without precipitating precipitating pre pre- a war declaration by congress or even a White House request for such action he virtually virtually vir vir- suggests to Japan and Italy that they can get away with the same tactics His underlying un un- un- un derl ng purpose it is believed is to dissipate our energies Ina in ina ina a way three-way war var and thus offset offset offset off off- set our preferred strategy of all aid to Britain and Russia Cordell Hulls Hull's demand t that hat h a t Finland call off her war against 4 Russia may ricochet In reject ing our request Helsinki rna may nay taunt both Washington a and ad London with their failure ti to render effective military aid t to small ll nations which have fallen fall en victim to both the nazis and t the soviet Finland cannot accept ti the Anglo U. S. S offer at this time according to her spokesmen to in 1 Washington because that Would leave her with an exposed fron fro tier in the east Secondly th the Finns are so bitter against th the j Russians that peace moves now not I might precipitate a revolt against the government Last ly the realistic fact is that th the Germans would not permit the tj Finns to withdraw without fierce retaliation But the principal reason for the prospective rejection Will wilt b bi be the U. Anglo-U. S. S Inability to send troops or supplies to Finland when she was attacked by MM tos io I cow in 1939 I Norwegian sources report report that an attempt is under way I apparently with the approval If U not at the instigation of G Ger I man occupation authorities to force dignitaries of ot the church to align themselves with Nas Nas- jonal Major Vidkun Quislings Quisling's national socialist party J The Quislings have made it it clear that Norway's state church and lesser r e 11 g Iou groups are expected to place party allegiance above doctrine Previous attempts to take over the spiritual machinery of the nation have failed But these 1 Is Ii more apparent interest this thia time on the part of official nazi representatives This leads Norwegians to fear that a cris may be approaching which could coui have very unpleasant features Up to now pastors have refused to take orders from Quisling of or in spite of possible con con- sequences An outstanding illustration illus flies came when all were cr- cr r dered to discuss from their pulpits peel pul pits the English crime of sinking the Norwegian coastwise coastwise coast coast- wise ships Barby and Richard With Newspapers under co con com played this up The pastors however ignored their instructions without comment They adhered to the theory that German troop transports by taking refuge behind the Scandinavian Scan dina vian vessels had exposed the latter to attack so that th the blame was upon upon Germany rather rattier rath- rath er than England g Copyright 1941 McClure i t Syndicate |