SUNDAY, JULY 7, 1940
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
PAGE SEVEN
Situation:
OMINOUS
THE
In Germany...
ON JUNE 18 the U.S. government
dispatched a note to all belliger-
ents warning that the United States
would not tolerate any transfer of
territories in the Western Hemi-
sphere between non-American pow-
ers. Last week the government of
the Third Reich rejected this warn-
ing as "without object."
Foreign Minister Joachim von
Ribbentrop declared in a note to this
government that any interpretation
of the Monroe Doctrine which al-
lowed France and Great Britain to
possess territories in the Western
Hemisphere while barring Germany
from such possessions was "unten-
able."
Ribbentrop asserted that the note
did not apply to the Reich since Ger-
many had given no grounds for an
assumption that she intended to seize
any territory in the Western Hemi-
sphere.
Meanwhile Nazis goose-stepped for
joy as their Fuehrer took his first
sight-seeing trip outside Greater Ger-
many, visiting the Louvre, the Eiffel
Tower, the Hotel des Invalides, the
Opera in Paris.
The High Command announced it
was ready to defer temporarily dis-
armament of the remaining units of
the French fleet, under the armis-
tice treaty provisions, as a result of
the Oran battle, in which England
disabled a good part of the fleet.
The German armistice commission
advised the French of the German de-
cision.
The Foreign Office advised the
United States embassy in Berlin to
discontinue all diplomatic missions
in Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg and
the Netherlands. The missions must
be closed by July 15, although con-
sulates may remain open. France was
not included.
In France.. ..
I N THE PICTURESQUE little town
of Vichy, this week, Premier Mar-
shall Henri Phillipe Petain attempt-
ed to make order from the chaos of
emasculated, war-shattered France.
He succeeded in making himself one
of Europe's new dictators, and put
his country at virtual, although im-
potent war with France's erstwhile
ally, the mistress of the seas.
Tuesday Anglophiles here and a-
broad took cheer when the appoint-
ment of Vice-Admiral Muselier as
commander of "all free French naval
forces" to "carry-on-the-war," bright-
ened the dark picture of French sur-
render.
The following day the capitulation
of France to Hitler in ideology as
well as arms, destroyed the tem-
porary British optimism. The French
National Assembly met in Vichy to
"eliminate unwieldy democratic pro-
cedure"-thinly veiled diplomatic
jargon for dictatorship. Under the
direction of once-Premier Laval, and
now-Premier Petain, a convenient
constitution was worked out and the
French parliament relegated to posi-
tion of rubber stamp.
Tmmediately rumors came from
across the channel that aroused Eng-
land was pointing its fleet at the
French. Admiral Gensoul, looked at
his alternatives of complete surren-
der to either Germany o England,
and flight to this country or French
colonies, or coming to grips with his
former ally. He decided on the lat-
ter-if and when they tried to seize
the French fleet. Within 24 hours
fact substantiated rumor. Imitat-
ing Chancellor Adolf Hitler's tactics
of keeping machines of war from the
enemy at all costs, England turned
on France, and moving with un-
precedented British swiftness, troun-
ced Gensoul and seized in a triple
thrust ranging from Scotland to Al-
geria, approximately 250 ships of all
sizes, and sank or damaged another
dozen.
Indications were yesterday that
England will continue her new policy
of 'with us or against us,' but much
of value is already beyond their
grasp. Ever since the fall of France
became obvious a steady drone of
French planes has been heard over
southern Spain-indicating flight to
temporary sanctuary in Africa.
The smoke had hardly cleared from
the greatest sea battle since Trafal-
gar when Marshall Petain ordered
reprisal by the remnants of the
French fleet against British mer-
chantmen-opening a new phase of
the war.
InE lan .. .
BIG NEWS of the week in England;
was the series of naval engage-
THE
VARc
terms and French ships aided
British in fighting off an Italian,
ttack. The third, and most dra- ion
c phase of the action occurred Am
he coast of Oran, Algeria, where thi
n hour and twenty minute fight, lux
ritish battle squadron sank one me
ich battleship, one seaplane car-mexp
two destroyers, and damaged int
new battle cruisers and a battle- usu
Authoritative sources declare coin
the number of French ships not sec
in British hands or out of action Mr
very few. spr
P
1the Balkans ina
or
'E BALKAN FUSE was simmer- def
irn again this week, as dismem- por
d Rumania, beset with new to:
ats and demands from Soviet iro
ia, Hungary and Bulgaria, list
hed out for Adolph Hitler's hand E
asked for guidance. pro
ter being forced to capitulate por
ussian demands last week, King den
1, whose prime objective had 000
to preserve the gains of the wil
Id War, renounced the Franco- of
sh unilateral guarantee of ter- we
ial integrity which the Allies had '
a him voluntarily April 13, 1939, vot
announced that henceforth Ru- sio
ia "would follow the new orien- 000
in of Europe." ofd
the completion of Soviet occu- tor
n of Bessarabia and Northern equ
)vina, King Carol, amidst rum- 011
of his own abdication, appoint- Wo
a strongly pro-German, anti- t
tic Cabinet, headed by 54 year no
Ion Gigurtu, and embarked his spe
.try on a course of totalitarian wee
as King Victor Emmanuel did tar
taly in 1922. Gr
.ngary and Rumania traded re-
inations Tuesday, but to fore-
a war over "unredeemed Tran-
,nia" which Rumania took from
Magyar monarchy in 1919, Buda-
was reported ready to negotiate
claims. Bulgaria, too, pressed
arest for rectification of her
nds in the Dobruja province.
awhile, some 200,000 Rumanian
>s were reported on their way
e Hungarian and Bulgarian bor-
in preparation for possible in-
>ns from the west and south.
.e Balkans are thus a logical
for ensuing serious develop-
s. The three small countries-
tania Hungary and Bulgaria-
little voice in power politics,
of these nations depends now
Wussia and Germany, and secon-
.y, Italy. These great powers
; certainly may be expected to
o avoid a war in the Balkans at
time-the Axis nations, preoc-
d with war on England and
ia, because of inherent military
ness. If war does come in the
ans, only Britain stands to gain.
Caribbean, .
OFFICIAL reports that a British
ruiser squadron was threatening
>lish a blockade and/or occupa-
of the strategic French island
artinique in the Caribbean took
dded meaning after an exchange
otes between Germany and the
ed States revealed that the Third
h believed Washington's interpre-
n of the Monroe Doctrine was
enable."
ould another naval battle devel-
1 this region between the French
British, it was felt in Washing-
that the United States would be
d to take action, either to as-
e a protectorate over the island
o force the British to abandon
effort to seize it.
t he Far East
WORLD
THIS
;itizens Start Paying For National
Defense
WEEK
As
Rearming
ContinusS
State Merit Act Wilikie Revitalizes Republicans,
Goes On Ballotl Wants FDR To Run Against Him
T-i e m , a nY ir
Outlook:
UNCHANGED
Footing the bill for the new na-
nal defense program affected Mr.
erican Citizen for the first time
s week as he was called on to pay
ury levies on cigarettes, amuse-!
nt, and automobiles which are
pected to yield about $475,000,000
the coming year. There were the
aal expressions of surprise and
2plaint, but reports from various
tions of the country reveal that
. itizen shouldered this new re-
nsibility with painful dignity.
President Roosevelt put a virtual
bargo on the sale to any foreign
tions of any munitions, materials
machinery needed in the national
tense program, by making all ex-
ts of such conimodities subject
rigid military direction. Scrap
n was not included in the new
xtension of the national defense
gram was foreseen with the re-
t from Washington that the Presi-
nt was rounding out a new $5,000,-
,000 supplemental program which
I be urged on Congress in the form
a special message this coming
ek.
With the $5,082,210,080 already
ed for defense at the present ses-
n of Congress, the added $5,000,-
,000 will bring the estimated cost
defense preparations now planned
more than $10,000,000,000, nearly
alling the all-time record of $11,-
,387,000 appropriated for the
rld War fiscal year of 1918.
the President's two new Cabinet
trinees were approved by the re-
ctive Senate Committees this
ek-Renry L. 8timson, as Secre-
y of War, by the Military Affairs
oup and Col. Frank Knox, as Sec-
11*3 1 NIL)jV U t I Iuu11
With Washtenaw Cointy contrib-
uting more than its quota of signers,
the Michigan Merit System Associa-
lion Friday filed petitions bearing
212,306 signatures to place on the
November ballot a constitutional1
amendment which would write a civilA
> service act into law.
In this county petitions were signed
by 4,486 persons, 500 over Washte-
now's quota.
The petitions were from 48 coun-
ties 28 more than required.
James A. Kennedy. of Ann Arbor,
president of the associationtold
newsmen at the filing ceremonies in
the office of the Secretary of State
that "the people have done a good
ijob for themselves-we were just the
articulate group for them."
Predicting that voters would adopt
the amendment, Kennedy said that
circulation of the petitions was the
"first step and the hardest job."
The petitions were submitted only;
a short time before the deadline for
such filing by a delegation composed
of
HENRY L STIMSON William P. Lovett, of the Detroit
Citizens League; Kennedy, Mrs. Craig
retary of the Navy by the Naval Af- Miller, of Marshall, former president
fairs Committee. Confirmation by of the Michigan League of Women
the entire Senate is expected. Voters; Mrs. Seigel W. Judd, of Grand
Rapids, member of the late Gov. Fitz-
Airplane runways longer than any gerald's Civil Service Study Commis-
in the world are being laid down on sion; Mrs. Paul W. Jones, of Grand
on the Alaskan tundra by the Army Rapids, member of the original State
Air corps at its new bases outside Civil Service Commission; S. V. Nor-
Fairbanks and Achorage. ton, of Bloomfield Hills, director of
Both bases are nearer to Europe the association; G. F. Langford, of
by the Soviet-pioneered across-the- Jackson; Luther Pahl, of Jackson;
Pole route than any air base under George Meder, of Ann Arbor, coun-
the American flag. sel for the association.
most. The dramatic surge of Will-
kie to the top in the late balloting at
the Republican National Convention
indicates the degree of his appeal to
the rank and file delegate-and to
the rank and file voter. With Me-
Nary to entice the Western vote
(which Willkie couldn't) this GOP
combine is making Democratic bosses
burn the midnight oil before the
Party Convention in Chicago next
week.
Willkie turned in his resignation
as boss of Commonwelth"and South-
ern last week in order to devote his
full time to the campaign. He also
will resign his other corporate -con-
nections including directorships in
the Ohio Edison Company, the Con-
sumers Power Company, the Trans-
portation Securities Corporation, the
Central Illinois Light Company and
the Southern Indiana Gas and Elec-
tric Company.
More than any other one man in
the party, Willkie stands for opposi-
tion to the New Deal. The party rank
and file look to him as the most
vocal anti-New Dealer in the ranks.
Willkie told reporters last week:
"You'll hear me called a New Deal-
er and a Democrat. If there's one
thing I have done it's fight the New
Deal. Why, some of these other fel-
lows who call themselves Republi-
cans were selling off the regalia
while I was defending the lodge."
Undismayed last week were party
leaders at the news that Lizzie, 42-
year-old elephant in the Philadelphia
Zoo had passed away during the Con-
vention. They immediately named
her cousin, Josephine, official sym-
bol of the Republican Party.
WENDELL WILLKIE
* * *
The new poltical dynamic of the
Republican Party, Wendell L. Will-
kie, last week declared he hoped
President Roosevelt would run for a
third term because "I want to beat
him."
Characteristic of the new spirit of
the Republican Party was this crack
made to newspapermen by the 48-
year-old ex-utilities executive. And
it is this spirit that has Democratic
polticos worried, for behind it lies
a smooth-functioning political ma-
chine ready to exploit it to the ut-
CAN ENGLAND BE BLITZKRIEGED?
a
I
e rcw
I.
STAVANGR^'1
LTIL
I
THE OUTLOOK in Far East seems
relieved considerably of late, de-
spite British insistence that England
is not ready to sacrifice China to
satisfy the Japanese request for stop-
page of shipment of war supplies to
China over the Burma road.
Of course, Japan is still deter-
mined, as much as ever, to take ad-
vantage of the course of the Euro-
pean war to enlarge her empire in
the Far East. But the zeal of the
Japanese authorities at Hong Kong,
Tokyo and Shanghai to calm the
critical Hong Kong situation indi-
cates that Nipponese policymake'rs
are still undecided on the next move.
But the appearance of the follow-
ing signs must be taken as symp-
toms of an abated atmosphere in the
East:
1) The statement by the Japanese
consul general at Hong Kong that
British and Japanese authorities are
negotiating with a view to assuring
adequate food supplies for Hong
Kong, whose land frontiers face Chi-
ENGLAND imports much of her
food and pays for much of it
by manufacturing other imports.
/"!.x~~vw. ..xs r r r4fn , n n
of the approach of a convoy. Similar1
submarine-airplane teamwork jeop-
ardizes the northern route around
the key Nazi bases. A great strip
through the vital manufacturing
midlands is within range of all three
r~~ n nic.
path for it then swept ftee of Brit-
ish mines.
Diversion Possibilities
move might divert British troops
needed for defense again a Dover
thrust. Likewise, an offense launched