| Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS by edward C wayne washington debates use of convoys As british shipping losses mount stalin becomes premier of russia openly assumes national leadership EDITORS NOTE when opinions are expressed in these columns the they are those of the news analyst an and not necessarily of this newspaper released by western newspaper union TORE 7 4 4 L t 7 F ax A ta V 4 N M A split in administration policy over the new tax program was indicated when leon henderson above government price czar testified before the house ways and means committee that he believed a large portion of the treasury revenue program to be deflationary and unnecessary it is indicated that while methods of raising taxes may cause disagreement one thing is sure taxes must go up to meet defense program costs CONVOYS battle of atlantic mounting british losses in the battle of the atlantic put the issue of convoying strictly and squarely up to the administration in washington and the answer was seen to be forthcoming shortly if it had not already been made secretly it had so far been largely a verbal discussion with the non inter pointing to convoying as outright war and the administration forces sending up one trial balloon after another to test american sentiment ti ent as to whether it was ready and willing for this important step briefly the positions were these non interventionists held that convoying meant shooting quoting the president himself and that shooting meant undeclared war the administration forces took the simple stand that congress had voted all out aid to britain and that it was foolish to build billions of dollars worth of war material for the british and then send it out on the high seas to be sent to the bottom the latter view was finally expressed in a long radio address by secretary of war stimson who was reported to have consulted president roosevelt about the address before delivering it stimson was frank he went further than the question of convoying which he treated as a simple phase of the big issue whether the american navy ready and willing to halt aggressors on the high seas should stand quietly by and let britain be defeated through lack of control of the oceans or should be turned to aid britain and give britain the mastery of the sea without which she could not hope to win secretary stimson not having the authority to order out the fleet into int 0 active aid to britain was just making a speech and could not answer his own questions with action neither could senator pepper of flor ida an outright and frank advocate cat of open war who even went so far as to criticize the administration with which he was entirely aligned as not being bellicose enough in the present grave situation so the battle of the atlantic while it was claiming american lives and american goods was still being fought at least openly by the british navy alone though the big scene of the fight was in the american halls of congress and in the american newspapers stimsons sons speech had one obvious effect however it served notice on the non interventionists that the time was not far distant when talk would be replaced by action one way or the other and his talk had its effect in rousing the antia anti a ad d ministration orators to a new frenzy of appeal to the great mass of the people to speak out nobody spoke out however a at t least not in any mass that looked remotely like a majority on the other hand the administration seemed about ready to take action which would have far reaching importance there was news from san francisco shippers to their connections in tokyo that the united states was planning to close the panama canal in a short time to japanese ves vessels sils this would have the effect of lifting a very practical bar to the trade of the japanese with the eastern coast of south and central america as it would force these vessels to go around cape horn the announcement was without official backing yet it was made at a time when certain nipponese newspapers were urging repeatedly that matsuoka recent guest at axis capitals make a trip to the united states and try to improve japans relations with this country perhaps reach a perfect understanding that would guarantee peace the closing of the canal however would be a blow to japan that she would not take quietly or without reprisals if possible it was viewed as the sort of blunt act that might with distinct intention shut japan off from any further diplomatic traffic with washington STALIN in saddle one of the most interesting developments op ments yet one on which the analyst could almost write his own ticket was the assumption of josef stalin of the premiership of soviet russia the dictator of the soviet has never before held political politic al office operating entirely behind the scenes with others to wear such togas as may be passed around the commentators took every possible view of assumption of personal office as head of the russian state these views ranged all the way from an about face on the war with russia about to take an active role against germany and italy in the near east to the view of kerensky former russian premier in 1917 who said he believed taking of power might mean that germany has a promise from the dictator of active aid on the german side it was a step down for molotov who iho went from premier back to foreign minister a post he held before molotov was perhaps the finger pointing to the real reason for the change he became foreign minister just before the dramatic signing of the russo german pact a pact which hastened the actual start of the present war for it was the signing of this treaty that made britain and france realize that their hope of encirclement of the axis by land was vain and that they were really in a fight for their existence the only official announcement came from stalin who said that molotov was being relieved only after his own repeated requests london was inclined to a somewhat s more rosy view of the situa situation tion than that of kerensky saying soviet russia has refused to sign a further german pact and has openly taken the stand th that at bulgaria was wrong in so doing and that was right to f ight fight stalin now takes command of the russian empire at a time when a german drive to the east threatens what russia regards as her sphere of activity in asia no positive statement there but a general view that the whole move is inspired by soviet disquiet over german advances toward the black sea the british believed the move meant a frank and active change in russian policy WAR vital phases it was evident that the war was entering several of its most vital phases with britain standing alone though with constantly increasing american aid the big test which the churchill government faced at the hands of the british commons was only a part of the picture the battle was threefold three fold the air fight over england with the channel crossing threat behind it the pincers move on the mediterranean especially suez the battle of the atlantic over england hammer blows being struck at britain by the no longer were being shrugged off in dispatches as some damage being done or some casualties feared but dispatches from england told of most serious damage to plymouth which was practically ruined to liverpool to belfast to the all of them much more vital to britaina Brit ains defense than the shashi smashing na attacks on london and the thames charn estuary apparently paying little attention to the industrial midland section of england hitler thus was centering his attacks on ports ports and more ports apparently seeking to tie in the battle of england with the battle of the atlantic rather than to concentrate cen on a general air blitz against En glands factories and her industrial production another development was the constant increase of day fighting over the channel regarded in many quarters as a trial balloon to an invasion attempt as soon as midsummer calmer weather should arrive As always the defense of britain found its echo in this country and the change in the method of attacks on england found president roosevelt issuing an urgent appeal practically a command to the air industry to concentrate on the production of the largest possible bombing planes said that america should produce military planes inthe 12 months to come but mr roosevelt seemed to feel that a change in type would be needed in fact he conditioned the eventual mastery of the air by britain on the american production of these very large bombers and said that they must be built even if it means enlarging plants further mediterranean also important the battle of the mediterranean was no less vital and no less active than the battle of england for on the eastern front the british found themselves after the withdrawal from greece with new problems on their hands the iraq coup left them with the possible loss of the oil fields and the all important pipeline from kirkum to haifa falling into the hands of the nazi inspired iraq government of Gai dailani lani the british swiftly landed an expeditionary force shot it inland and sent reinforcements yet it was obvious that the trouble in moslem asia minor was on the increase with the french in syria frankly throwing up their hands and saying that they were unable to quell disturbances tur bances on the part of arabs there turkey offered her good offices and so did egypt but though there was religious unity in those directions there was little unity of purpose and it looked as though britain would have to fight for her oil or give up and get oil somewhere else the prospect also was dark bei I 1 cause of the menace of german aid to the iraqi which might make the pipeline untenable even if the british get full control of it |
