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Monday, February 24, 1941. Wyndham St., Hongkorg Telephone: 20615
THE prefix "Special to the Telegraph”. used by the "longkong Telegraph" to Indicate thews which is strictly copyright under the provisions of the Telecommuni. cations Ordinance, 1935. Buch news As hears the tndleation "Up" is received in Hongkong on the date of publication by the United Press Associations, who re- serve all rights and forbid republications. either wholly or in pari without previous arrangement
MATSUOKA'S OFFER
MR Matsuoka, Japan's Foreign Minister, is reported to have offered to do anything in the Far East that would serve to restore a feeling of security. That is a most interesting proposition.
Givin
Mr Matsuoka the credit for being an honcurable man, Is it not possible that his advisers, strongly coloured by Nazi- Ism,
are anxious to lull the Fur East into a false sense of safety? That
while we were listening to soft
coolngs from Tokyo, this end of the Axis would be arming to the teeth to strike at a more opportune time? Mr Matsuoka does not have to ask us what he should do to restore harmony. As regards Britain, he should with- draw his army, navy and air force fram Indo-China where they have no good reason to be; he should cease being the willing tool of our greatest enemy, putting us on the defensive here because he has admitted thousands of German sailors and military and naval experts to his shores, and to his councils, in cir- cumstances that have raised legl- timate. suspicion of Japanese com- plicity in raider warfare at sea ind In army tactics near our borders. The Netherlands, Philippines and China can look after themselves and we shall be behind them because, selfish as it may sound, their interests have been tied up with ours almost Irrevocably by Japanese actions and statements.
How can we agree that their south- ward expansion is peaceful and economie when Tokyo stalesmen invariably add the postscript that if their penëcfut aima are not muccessful,
they wil prosecute them with arm ? Such a policy is that of a gangster
approaching Policeman with" the words, "I will not shoot if you hand over your revolver and let me take over your bent. I want to look after my friends and get a little something on the side for myself,"
If there is anything sincere about Japanese policy it is dislike of a war with Britain and America. We should appreciate that but for the certain fact that when she is prepared and when the advance starts, her military leaders will not hesitate to send the Japanese people Into the conflet again if resistance is met.
Japan is somewhat like the good boy who strolled out of the family councils and, finding an easy-going weaker friend, fell to bullying. The litle boy was not disciplined; in fact he managed wrest some childish spoils which stimulated a Intent avaricious streak. He strayed more often and toolt some beatings from his victims but then he fell among bad companions who played upon his in- decision-whether to stay on the streets at night or go home to his own home and a'regular, it small, wago,
It's the old story of law versus tho lawless but nowadays every · citizen- belongs to the vigilantos. Japan will not be told:, the democracles will not be cowed,
February 24, 1941.
Ralph Ingersoll is the Editor of the New York newa- paper, “PM,” and Ben Robertson is the journal's London Correspondent. Both have seen London in the worst. periods of the Nazi air raids. ' In view of the wide publicity given to the statements made by Mr Joseph P. Kennedy, the former U.S. Ambassador to London, con- cerning America's defence problems and_international problems bearing on Britain's war effort, Ingersoll took the extraordinary step of interviewing his own reporter on the matter of the Ex-Ambassador's record in London in order to find out what Mr Kennedy's words were worth. Some time ago Mr Konnedy disowned an interview published in the "Boston Globe" in which he suggested that it was erroneous to think that democracy was alive in England.
BEN ROBERTSON
INGERSOLL No one kes being to us and do something about it Im- bombed. Why, tidsi';_the_British Gov medlutely. He was almost like a ernment leave London? They were as father to his personal concern about free to go to tim country as Joe Ken nur safely. One day some of us were RALPH INGERSOLL
nedy.
What going to Davet. He phoned us, ROBERTSON: The Government be- hotel were we going to stay at? How INGERSOLL Ex-Ambassador Ken- nedy, you know, is talking on the leved in what they were fighting for long were we going to be there? Ile the reason Washington sent Donovan William J. Donovan of the and they stayed it their posts, He got us on planes into England and out (Col. radio to-night. Did you have any came home as quickly as he could. chanco to know him when you were
of England and we all were grateful Fighting 09th) over--in order to see who INGERSOLL: That's just your own to him.
was right. Wo know Kennedy was in London? Did you have any bus opinion?
INGERSOLL: It may be an unkind furious about Donovan's arrival. While ness with him? Did you and the
ROBERTSON: No. That wn* other American correspondenta there, oplulon of most of the correspondents. told me I would believe that Joe Ken Kennedy had resigned three times, We the thing to say but from what you have he was there, there was a rumour that interest yourselves at all in how this They come in all colours and shapes nedy was a very sensitive mon on the certainly know what Donovan's conclu country was being represented in and sizes, but correspondenta. aren't subject of safely...
alons were. They weren't Kennedy's Londont
taken in very lang. One funny thing ROBERTSON: Yes. Yes, we did. We about Kennedy was ROBERTSON:
He frequently at all. that he
INGERSOLL: Donovan thought is never urged all of us to go home. had constant business with him. We seemed to think anybody would re- saw him on many occasions. In fact, member his off-the-record peeches. thing to you about what he thought have come from talking with other INGERSOLL: Did he ever say any was a good cause, well fought. Then you think Donovan's confidence may to the American correspondents, how we never printed thent, of course. Brittin's war alms were? well we were represented was one of But we were all highly interested in the most important questione we felt London when we read about one of make head or tall out of what this over everything to him, le Baw every
ROBERTSON: He said, "I can't Amerienn observers. we had to answer. You know, London them in the Boston Globe." He told war's all about. If you can find out in the midst of the war is a small town us the general pense, exactly what was why the British are standing up body as you did and I think his con- and everybody knows everybody else, in the Interview he disowned. He against the Nazis you are a better man clusions were based on that, 100. especially among the American colony, once told me that lie saw nothing in than I am."
INGERSOLL: Did Kennedy spend We were in particularly clasa contact store for the world but anarchy.
INGERSOLL: That is rather an much time with the British military with the Ambassador because wo were all aliens its a country that was at was quality of fighting for one's principies basandor-particularly one representing airports?
INGERSOLL: It hardly reflects the extraordinary statement for any an- people at Dover and at the military and every step we took had to be that is so characteristic of Mr Runge a President who has been so out- Dover at all and I never saw his pic ROBERTSON: I never saw him in taken through the Ambassador. We velt and the Administration Mtr Ken- spoken in his analysis of the forers in ture taken in any of the army camps. were in and out of his umice every day nedy was representing in London. volved in the war in Europe. on same business or other. All of us.
INGERSOLL Did he spend much INGERSOLL: As I-recall, you also
time visiting shelters with correspon. got to know the men who were ûght- Ing the Nazis pretty well too--the aci tive members of the British Govern- ment, men who were shooting down Messerschmitts, hunting raiders and submarines. Do you think they could have concealed their real opinions from you?
ROBERTSON: No, certainly not. If you go through a crisis with people there is sure to come a time when you stop talking for the record and mak ing diplomatic speeches and say what you really think.
INGERSOLL: Possibly you even asked such an indiscreet questions as "What do you think of the American Ambassador in London?" sometime or other?
ROBERTSON: Yes, that is true. They told us what Kennedy had sald to them. In fact, one of the interest- ing things was to compare what Ken- nedy hnd mid to them with what ha lind and to us. He always led them to belleve he was their greatest friend and even that last news reel he made before he left the Embassy to get the plane to Lisbon-gave the im- plication that they were doing a fine Job and that he was on their side. I was at the embassy when that news reel was being made. It cheered up the British a great deal. They thought it was ine..
Said Different Things INGERSOLL: I don't quite get that You tell me that the British were piensed by what he said to them, but It doesn't sound as if you American correspondents always were. Didn't he Auy the same thing to you that he said to them?
ROBERTSON: No. I was relieved when I heard about the news reel be- cause that hadn't been my impression 1 all. He had given me and other American correspondents the distinct Impression that he was very sceptical about Britain's chances,
INGERSOLL: The American Am- bassador sold one thing to the British and another to the American corres- pondents?
ROBERTSON: Yes. In fact, I was relieved when I heard what he said for the news reel because I was afraid he had lost confidence.
INGERSOLL: Lost con@dence? That Is interesting. What kind of people did he talk-to-or-do-business-with?)
ROBERTSON: Well, he saw every body. But one whom he admired and often talked about was Chamberlain, He often said he was a misunderstood man and often mentioned that he was proud about the fact that he was the one who had introduced Lindbergh to Chamberlain
It is so difcult to get that man Kennedy down. He was so devious. You remember how we talked about his loyle-how we couldn't see that his conclusions could possibly come from his premises?
He still seems to think that Britain
The PARADOX
of
KENNEDY
ROBERTSON: The British turned
denta?
ROBERTSON: Not with us.
INGERSOLL: Did he ever go to the firo department during a rald and see how the ares were going on when There were bombers about?
RODEKTSON: He was in the country. INGERSOLL; Woll, that' interests me professionally of course. As an observer I don't see how a man catt appraise the progress of a war with- out visiting it and assuring himself on the equipment and morale of the fighting forces. Did the American military observers in the embassy get out and around?
ROBERTSON: All the timo.
The
naval observers were with the ships at sca.
INGERSOLL: And those are the people whose opinton Kennedy passed up?
ROBERTSON: Look. You know what Gen. Strong suld when he enme back. He believed the British could hold out.
INGERSOLL: I think that is ter ribly Important to the American people to understand these things because we are 3,000 miles away and we have to inke the opinion of expert witnesses. ROBERTSÓN: Since the Washing. ton left July 7 there haven't been 50 Americans who have come out of Eng- land.
J
Why Sent An Envoy? INGERSOLL: So you wouldn't say I was talking through my hat if I said these things that the observers who got around the most, saw the most und heard the most were the correspon. dents and the military observers at tached to the legation. And the ques- tion of how the war's going, if it comçı to an issue with Mr Kennedy, is their word against his?
ROBERTSON: Their word and facts.. INGERSOLL: You know, I doubt If people really understand that. The title of ambassador is a pretty over-powering one for most folki. sounds so re- Hablo and disinterested.
RODENTSON: You know Kennedy ni- Ways wanted people to use his full itti Ila Excellency United States Ambal-, sador to the Court of St James.
INGERSOLL: He looks well in a high hat It is too bad American ambasandori don't get to wear knee breeches any more, ROBERTSON: Even the English don't dress for dinner now. They are busy fighting a war. Look here, Can a follow who is being interviewed, ask a quesuoni, Do you know why President Roosevelt rent Mr Kennedy to England in the first place?
INGERSOLL: Not first hand. But after the little I had heard in London and after the Louis Lyons Interview In the "Boston Globe" I made some enquiries. It appears that the same kind of thing you observed In London had been going on in Washing- ton. That -Kennedy's" getung so in volved emotionally that some of the things he was saying privately sounded irrespon- sible. Someone suggested to the President that the simplest way out of this embar-
be 10 rosament, would
Mr change Kennedy's address. Which wasn't hard to
"blandishments"?
Joseph P. Kennedy shrewdly made $5,000 while still a Harvard student as co-owner-of-a-bus.—. In 1914,-when-only-25, he became presi.... dent of the Columbia Trust Co., a small Boston bank. During the Great War business-minded Kennedy managed a shipbuliding plant of the Bethlehem Steel Co., and later worked on Wall Street. Then the movies beckoned, and from 1924 to 1929 he was connected with the film in- of the Film Booking Offices of America and president of dustry, first as later as adviser to Kelth-Aibee-Orpheum, First National. RCA and Paramount. After the 1929 crash, he quit movies, with, it is estimated, something like $5,000,000 clear profit. In 1834, he cleaned up in a Lib- bey-Owens-Ford stock pool. Soon after that, his role as buslocsmman- financier was soft-pedalled. He was on his way to international politics. These facts of Kennedy's career are given in "PM." ROBERTSON: No. But we never ROBERTSON; I don't think Ken- arrango because many people who are wasn't prepared to fight. Perhaps had such an idea that he was a friend nędy is concerned with those forces, impressed by title and position have shouldn't have fought. But
Do you?
worked their whole lives on the of the President's.
to get an_ep- other hand he would give you the Im- INGERSOLL: What made you say INGERSOLL: A man with a sense pointment to a foreign court, and Ken- pression that they were right in fight- that?
of morality would be. In London you nedy was that kind of a man. At the same time to one in Washington really Ing. Our hooray for them. Sometimes ROBERTSON: Well, the day he left and I both saw innocent people killed, foresaw how important to the future of he thought we should help them. He gave a party. He took his coat off We saw people fighting for the right civilisation such a job would become. The Sometimes he thought we shouldn't, and said, "Boys, I'm going to say what to work out their own destiny. We most experienced people in Washington Sometimes he said they were giving us I haven't been able to for two years, raw people willing to suffer all kinds write Kennedy'a appointment off to politi a chance to arm. That we should arm I have been saying yes when I meant of hardship, risking death and destrue. Cal expedienty. But I don't know that -but that they would eventually lose no. Our Impression was that he was on not only for themselves but for with my own knowledge. That is simply
what responsible and und that was that That we should going home to denounce the President the prople they loved. Don't you think people in Washligion have told she. What drop them overboard and that they and might back the Republicans. I that these things moved Kennedy? was your theory in London? didn't count. Sil!! he told the people was so concerned I got word to him ROBERTSON: Yes, indeed, I think ROBERTSON That's just about what in the newsreel that they were doing to think it ever before he acted. No they did move him.. But still, it was I've heard in London. a fine job.
man appointed by the
INGERSOLL: Oh, by the way. We Democratic bad for business. Inconsistency
out Party can come
ngainst the INGERSOLL; om gradually get have only got a few minutes left pid You left Lon- the British Government wine and dins INGERSOLL: Well, I have got one nomlace for the Democratle Party, ing what you mean.
you when you were in London? Do you elcar picture of Kennedy In London at Some of his secretaries told me they don only a little while ago. Did the think it is possible that you succumbed
British you Raid one thing at one time, and a dif- And it certainly was our impression in feel Kennedy was their friend?
was dead against ferent thing at another; one thing to London, that he
Disillusioned
ROBERTBON: As correspondents, you sue person and one thing to another wrote up the story. The rest of us not. They were disillusioned and what Roosevelt. One correspondent even
are hitting of us in our most senatijve ROBERTSON: They certainly did place. We talked about it all the time. And believed in Chamberlain and
INGERSOLL: Of course, I don't mean Lindbergh? Is that accurate?
didn't get out on a limb because we disillusioned them were the state that personally, Ben. I just mean that ROBERTSON: Yes,
knew him. We knew how mercurial ments he made here. Like a man who loads of Americans think the Britians are INGERSOLL: Well, how can you he was. We have been wondering poses as your friend talking behind technique of winding innocent foreigners charming people and that they have a account for such an inconsistency time he left London and the time he around here to dinners in Hollywood
ever since what happened between the your back. They heard he was going around their fingers. Dld anyone In London have theorfest
ROBERTSON: If anybody In time any arrived in New York. When he came and other places talking off the record like this appears pro-Uritish and friendly ROBERTSON: We talked about it out for the President just before the with appeasement minded people. That to the Erlish cause, he opens himself to constantly every day. He was a great of thing he had been doing in London less to combat.
clection he was doing the same kind was the kind of talk they were help. accusation that he belongs to the puzzle to us and finally the only way saying one thing for the public and
Walter Hines Pago school. I toll you. we could explain it was that he was another in privato.
INGERSOLL: That doesn't sound as the people who count in this war are a Wall Street bear. He was a con.
if the appensement bloc in England everything we have written have shown too busy to buy champagne. We believe Armed pessimist and would sell any you almut Kennedy in London is like bloc must have approved of Kennedy, and a sincere people and they ann take it. INGERSOLL: You know, talking to was very strong. The appeasement themselves really to be a tough people thing short
ROBERTSON; There is no appease INGERSOLL: You mean that where developing a negative in the dark as military men and working journal- room. There's a pleture emerging here ment bloc in England. If there is it
Like Pioneers ists and people whose lives are in- but it doesn't seem to me to be the certainly isn't saying anything now, that when I was with you in London, INGERSOLL: I was intercated to note volved in
wer can get used to picture of one of America's great men. It has no power at all
for every bona fide member of the upper INGERSOLL: The American Em- classes that we met you talked with hombing it may be harder for a blg. He doesn't look like Benjamin Frank business man who is jump about his 1, the man who represented our In bassy is not entirely a one man show, scores, if not hundreds of simple people profits?
terests in France in the course of the There are many trained observers nt- or people who were carrying the imme ROBERTSON: He told us one day. American Revolution.
tached to an embassy in a great capital, into responsibility of fighting the Nazis "Tills war's raising hell with my busi
Liquor Dealer
Dld the trained observers In the with anti-aircraft and things like that.
by putting out fires, shooting planes down INGERSOLL: Yes, I can see how it
·ROBERTSON; He was a Ben Frank. American legation all see the situation ROBERTSON) I always thought that would. But I was also thinking of the breath of fresh air to the English with in though in one way. He was o difference between the way people all his Irishness and his nine children. take bombing. I don't know about Kennedy personally but I did notice And they had never had a liquor that there were some people in Lan- dealer before as the ambassador of a don where judgment was less affected foreign power. by fear than others..
INGERSOLL: Well, the Germans ROBERTSON: We used to laugh used to send the English their Von about the fact that Kennedy stayed In Ribbentrop, who tised to sell cham the country most of the time instead pakas. I remember you telling me of in London. The story that we Kennedy war an efficient fellow in the heard all over London was that Ken- way he ran his embassy.
Nesa.**
what they had to say about the war was lot more significant than what Lord Halifax had to say, in London, I got a better understanding of the U.3.A. than I ever had before, I thought a lat about the original pioneers here and what they had fought for and I could see that the Londoners mearure up to them in this new kind of war.
the way he saw it? I talked with,
ROBERTSON: Not any of them that INGERSOLL They didn't think the British case was hopeless? ROBERTSON: Not all, INGERSOLL: Kennedy made up his mind by himself then? Without tak ing their knowledge or advice?
INGERSOLL: Well, to-night we will ROBERTSON: He may have even have a chance to fear what his Excel made his mind up before the event.
Jency the Ambassador to the Court of INGERSOLL: What makes you any had there's no way to put 100 or more SL James has to say about it all, Too that?
ROBERTION: He had taken that Hing a score of trained military and naval American correspondents in London and nedy, having taken the stand he did......ROBERTSON: Ha couldn't have been -publicly approving the British-he better. And personally hate to any long ago and felt he had to continue it. observers on national radio hook-ups, thought he had to stay long enough to anything against him because he was INGERSOLL Then you go back to too. I think the American people would be bembed. After he had been there so helpful in that respect Times were his beer in Chamberlain and Lind making up their minds about the legisla And their testimony preity interesting in three monika he felt that was enough, serious in London and often wa nood- bergh and their kleas? He didn't like it. But he felt he was edible help. In our personal problems. HOBERSTON: It was felt that the
tion now before Congre bbilgated to go through a few bombs We could always depend upon him. difference in opinion between Kennedy experts haven't got the money to buy the and ralds to save faco,
He was always available, would listen and the military and haval aids, was time on a national radio hook-up.
ROBERTSON: I am afraid the real