THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 27, 1940
VIRTUAL OIL EMBARGO President Roosevelt's Dramatic Decision
Valuable Aid To Britain
CONSIDERABLE INTEREST in the Ameri- can extension of the licensing system to oil and scrap iron exports is indicated by United States wireless commentators.
All agree the step constitutes a virtual embargo on such exports to Japan and Spain.
The well-known commentator, Raymond' Gram Swing, pointed out yesterday that President Roose- velt had avoided any criticism or outright hostility to Japan, thereby relieving Japan of any necessity. for "face-saving," but declared the effect was the same, since the embargo weakens Japan's war strength.
He added the step was not of 'direct assistance to China buts shows an entirely new spirit in 'the United States foreign policy.
In connexion with reports that Spain had been importing oil to pass on to Germany or Italy, the commentator stated Rumania would not solve Hitler's oil pro- blem or make up for the loss off Russian supplies.
The colossal anomaly of the] nation preparing to conscript)
its youth and voting money by teng of billions for defence, while at the same time con- tinuing to allow its material resources to be exploited by the only power against which! detence is ever likely to be necessary, has become too ob. vious for even die-hard isola tionism to defend it with any conviction.
He said Germany had not en- ough oil to carry on the war Neither the Germans nor the very long at full blast. Ger-Japanese may like such actions many's oll reserves were believ-but ed to be steadily sinking.
F
Another commentator described
they
COL. MARY BOOTH INTERNED
It was learned in London yesterday that the Germans have in- terned Colonel Mary Booth, leader of the Salvation Army in Belgium, at Con- stance. Reuter.
THE EMPIRE ****.
RALLY
Villages, towns and voluntary jorganizations In Canada have provided 130 ambulances which,' a cable to Canadian Red Cross headquarters in London states, are "being forwarded to England as quickly as possible.
The Royal Calcutta Turf Club| has given
the equivalent off £88,000 to the East India Fund! for the purchase of war planes. It has already given £7,500.
The. Seychelles Islands, have sent a first contribution of £2,000; as renewed pledge of their loyalty.
The smaller South African ter- ritories have also sent in contri- butions-£4,000 from Basutuo- land, £4,145 from Bechuanaland and £900 from Swaziland.
LARGE PINCHES OF SALT RECOMMENDED
THE LONDON "Daily Express" yesterday
will give them no told its readers not to believe stories of quar- greater ability to retaliate than rels amon gthe Nazi leaders. Reports, it
they possessed before.-Reuter.
the oil embargo as "eloquent evi- Japanese Ambassador says, are going about that Goering is against
dence of the extent to which the United States is co-operating with] Britain in the blockade of the Axis powers."
Realism
#
Sees Mr. Welles
cretary of State, yesterday.
The New York ***Herald- Tribune," commenting yesterday strictions on oil and scrap metal. on the American oil embargo,
denied
the invasion of Britain and Ribbentrop and The Japanese Ambassador in Himmler are all for it. Washington called on Mr. Sumner Welles, United States Acting Se- These stories of dissension are mere op- It is understood they discussed timism. Any debates that are going on have the imposition of the licensing re- nothing to do with the invasion of Britain. said President Roosevelt's action day President Roosevelt
At his press conference yester-They concern Rumanian oil. in putting oil and scrap metal on any embargo was involved, adding the list of strategic materials the question was only one of na- which must be licensed for, ex-tional defence. - Reuter. port, and the Maritime Commis- :sion's action in refusing authority
-to two American tankers -with- heavy cargoes of oil for Spain, are both illustrations of the fact that democracy can move with realism and in defence of its own
Hitler is planning a two-phase -interests in the world and does The Navy League announces
programme — he must have oil not have to sit helplessly in the that during the first seven months and he must have England. In- tangles of its own assumptions of the year it has received from stead of waiting, the "Daily Ex-·· - until it is pole-axed by those for the Empire for its comforts press" says, to see which way he
whom the assumptions are, a scheme over 200,000 articles, and is going, we laughing stock.
over £40,000 in cash-Reuter.
EMPIRE GIFTS TO NAVY LEAGUE
An Impressive view of British Cruisers in line ahead. (Copyright, Fox).
King Carol is as much under, Hitler's thumb as Marshal Pe- tain, the "Daily Express" goes on. He would like to send all the oil of Rumania to the Axis powers.] but he cannot do it. Thera is not) enough transport by rail and road. and the Mediterranean is British- controlled.
po
JAPAN DISTURBED BY U.S. ACTION
President "Roose- velt's action adding petroleum and scrap metal to the list of licensible commodi- ties was described by a Japanese Foreign Office spokesman in Tokyo yesterday as a "very important mat- ter which will cause a great reaction in Ja- pon."
Official Japanese circles declare that as the American law in question was enacted for the purpose of conserving war ma- terials in the United States it is incompre- hensible that oil and scrap iron, which are abundant in the Unit- ed States, should be included in the list. --Reuter.
KENYA QUIET
A communique issued in Nairo-
was
bi yesterday says the day quiet: Normal air reconnaissances
were carried out and no move- ments of the enemy were report- ed.-Reuter.
NAVAL ACTIONS IN MEDITERRANEAN HEARTEN EGYPT
can make up his
THE EXPLOITS OF THE Royal Navy in the mind for him by tightening the blockade and by concentrated past three weeks have put new heart into the Near- bombings of his oil dumps and refineries.
East peoples and swept away doubts which arose "The Times" discusses the claims of Hungary and Bulgaria among Egyptians and others after the collapse of on Rumania. The mouth of the France when, with Italy astride the Mediterranean,
Danube is as much the concern
of Hitler as it is of Stalin. Ru- it was feared Egypt would be isolated:
manian oil, from Hitler's view-
point, must remain within Ger-
control.
The presence of large British armies was cer-
man reach and under German tainly reassuring but many wondered whether Egypt Hitler, therefore, is trying to might not suffer the fate of Abyssinia through slow impose quiet in the Balkans
but whether or not he can do it exhaustion.
is another matter. Whatever hel does, his sole guide will be Ger- man, not Balkan, interests.-Reu- ter.
CHINESE
RED CROSS RAISE NEW ISSUE
Dr. R. K. Lim, head of the Chinese Red Cross Medical Relief Commission is urging the Chinese Embassy in Lon- don to secure the exemption of equipment, supplies, vehi- cles and fuel belonging to the Chinese Red Cross from the Burma road restrictions.
Dr Lim declares that if vehicles and fuc) used for medical relief were prohibit- ed, it would be useless to per mlt supplies to be forwarded ns. they would be without means of transporting medi- cal material to the Interior hnd' would be unable to oper- ate ambulances-Reuter,
The Navy's answer has been. to cut a patch through the Ita- lian fleet for British shipping land to open the Mediterranean to convoys, many of which have already reached Alexandria safe- ly with military and other supplies.
ten the southern Italian army cut off in Abyssinia, as well as the civilian population at home.
High Hopes The people of Italy are
un-
By the sinking of Italian sub-doubtedly nervous about, the marinos in the Red Sea, the fate of the thousands of families' Navy has also safeguarded the transferred to Italy's possessions. Cape route from England to in Africa. Suez by which Egypt con. tinues-to-get-supplies of all
kinds.
With
With Anglo-Egyptian friend- ship never closer than at prezent, On the other hand, the Italian the people of Egypt are now re- possessions of Libya and Abyssigned to France's sinia are semi-isolated.
defeat and have high, hopes of ultimate Bri-
Uncertain Battleground tish victory-Reuter
As the battleground on which the coming coriffict will be
an
fought is still uncertain, the EARLY REPORTS OF Anglo-Italian land war continues | to be based on
harassing YESTERDAY'S RAIDS strategy with conservation of Imaterial as, the prime considera. An Alt Ministry communique
tion.
in London yesterday stated In this the 'British forces have enemy fighter was shot down in soored heavily. Italy's empty the Channel by
of a patrol. succosseo in the Sudan, where RA.F. fighters at noon, and a overwhelming forces captured second enemy fighter was shot
fow lightly down by our fightersoft hold posts, have bean glorified south-east coast in the afternoon. by Itallan propaganda' to hearReuter,
at some cost a
the