1941-05-29 — Page 39

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 29, 1941.

CHINA MAIL

-WINDSOR HOUSE

WAR IF IT COMES

After the ringing words of President Roosevelt's fireside talk, there can be no lingering doubt in any mind-in London or Ber- lin or Tokyo or Chung- king

as to where America stands and what its course will be. For Hit-1 ler, and Admiral Raeder, the challenge thrown out is as ominous as it is hear- tening to Britain stand-i ing in the forefront of the battle.

President Roosevelt was not specific on the pot of the action the Ameri- can Government proposes to take. But there was no ambiguity about his outline of the dangers that have to be faced and overcome the fact that sinkings of merchantmen are outpacing joint Anglo-American replace- ment capacity, the fact that the United States is committed to a policy of supplying the war mater- ials and must ensure, therefore, that the goods are delivered. There was no ambiguity about the plain statement that all! necessary measures to en sure delivery will taken.

In preparation

be

The

And

BISMARCK

PAID IN FULL, MAY 27, 1941.

Чаво

Axis, The Azores America

Italian

fort gue 1-lands which are st greatest teacher whatever he has in mind, situated stategically in the Al- has

lantie Geean that they have for of

dominated the routeS

of

said FIL his the

with war "annot

There

*

¦ some purpose. They are not irres- ponsible chatter, and they must not be disregarded. The seizure for the Azores, if it could be el- fected, would be one of the great During the past few weeks both therefore, that the islands of the moves of the war, a deadly dan- the

the Germats

Atlantic Ocean are of very great ger to Britain, a dangerous chal- interest to the Unted nows propagarla has been re-

States, lenge to the United States, and against the ferring to the Azores, the Portu- For as Admirul Mahan, Amerien's a paralysing stroke

strategy. Finch empire and against all of discussion South America. "lessons of the the President has pro: centuries

prolonged has been a America Spain," expect ever again to debale anung geographers, like claimed a state of unlim-from Ruope to the Americus, ited national emergency, were

Thres hundred years ago they have an enemy so entirely inapt that of the schoolmen as to how the advance base of the as Spain showed herself to be;j many angels can dance, on the whether, the yet even 50, Cervera's division point of a needle. adding to his powers of Spaniards for their operations in

Azores are within the Western the West Indies. They are to-retched Santiago on the 19th of

For Some reason executive action, and al!

day the piticipal stepping-stone May, two days before U.S. divi- Hemisphere," the same time has re-as- for commercial aviation between sions appeared in the full force serted the doctrine of the Europe and North America. They, they could muster before Bavana Cienfuegos." To-day. il are as near to Newfoundland as ami freedom of the seas. Simp- they 200 to Gibraltar Ships hostile fleet operating from these ly put, the doctrine insists travelling from North and South upon the right of Ameri- is the French Atlantic ports and can merchant ships to even to English ports must pass travel anywhere on the lands are for all practical pur- in the middle high seas unmolested, poses very nearly

of the Atlantic Ocean, and be- which implies that pro- cause the Atlantic is much tection will be given. Whe-smaller than the Pacific, it is a Conservalave statement to say ther he means convoys or that the control of the Azores is extended patrols makes at least as important tb U.S. de- fence and to their interests as a little difference. In the seafaring nation, as is the control end, the result will be the Hawaii.

same.

America

Very

דיקו

to the

Mediterranean, i

to the Azores. These

*

*

The Azores are in fact the northern end of a chain of is-

navy

By Walter Lippmann

shorter

islands in the direction of South America would have a distance to travel than would an American flent, operating from any base the latter possess, which set out to intercept them.

which no one can account for on any practical ground, the Wes- tern Hemisphere is supposed to begin at the imaginary he of Yet 20 degrees west longitude.

Azores this places the though and the Cape Verde Islands in it is the Western Hemisphere, usually said that they are, never- theless, not within the Western Hemisphere.

Why not? Because economical- ly and politically and historical- ly

bound they are

with 11) Europe, and therefore, they have never been held to fall within the scope of the pulitical veto laid down in the Monroe Doctrine. But strategically they are of the very greatest consequence to the Monroe Doctrine since the use of these islands as the advance base of a hustile navy and air force

have

•

101

the forces at

But the

a

The sudden interest of the The importance of the lands, some Spanish and some Axis newspapers in these islands would make the enforcement of speech cannot be exag. Portuguese, extending from the is bound, therefore, to be a mat- the Monroe Doctrine almost im-

Island of Corvo to the Cape ter of very great interest to the possible with gerated. It announced an

Verde Islands. They control the United States. In their comment, America's disposal.

. to the western they profess to belleve that other deliberate forward approaches

The question of the American hemisphere. The last time, Great Britain is about to occupy step in American policy for example, that a Euro- the Azores, and in the past this interest in the Azores has never raised before because invaded the kind of talk has meant invariably been in harmony with the new pean

western Hemisphere, the point of that they themselves were pre- throughout American history they

Portugal, belonged to outlook of America upon departure for the fleet was the paring an aggression the world scene. "Aid Cape Verde Islands. It was only There is no doubt that the oc- friendly nation, and the ancient

forty-three years ago, within the cupation of the Azores by the ally of Great Britain. short of war" has been memory of many of us, that Ad- Nazis would be another and most Azores belonging nominally to a thrown into the discard as miral Cervera and his Spanish important move in the encircle Portugal that had been overrun fleet sailed from the Cape Verde ment and blockade of the Bri- by Hitler and incorporated into the slogan of policy. The sands on April 29, 1890, touch-tish Isles. It would close all the his new order, the Azores as totalitarian empire to Britain except part of the stage has been reached of ed at the French Island of Mar- approaches

to the United "all-out aid even if it in- tinique on May 11, called at the only the very narrow northerly with Britain defeated, would be

that would be a greater threat Dutch Island of Curacao, on May route and even

And States than the conquest of volves war." President 15, and arrived at Santiago in dangerously jeopardised.

the Japanese. For the Island of "Cuba" bn 'May 19. while it is not easy to see just Hawaif by Roosevelt yesterday pru-

the Japan

invade the would get to

can never Americans have reason to know, how Hitler claimed the necessity of

Azores, it is well to remember, Western Hemisphere, having no first, that no one foresaw how fifth column support withinTM, this ending for all time the forces should the issue be he was going to take Norway, hemisphere. But the European 'effort of Hitler to domin-forced. ·

and second, that the invasion of Axis has such support, and with the undefended, Azores would the Azores and the Cape Verde certainly be a less formidable Islands as an operating base, a the invasion well-nigh mortal blow would undertaking than greater but the defences are non- of the Western Hemisphere.

distance is have been struck at the defences of England. The

It should, therefore, be made existent, and as part of some

at once from America larger operation which engaged plain ranean and around the British fleet in the Mediter that the Azores are as much an the British American vital interest as Mar Isles, the undertaking is quite linique or Bermuda within the scope of Hitler's foundland, and. strategical, conceptions. It will should be neglected which will be advisable, therefore, to take make the seizure of the Azores the Axis press. Such notices have sibility.

ate the world. Actual war The President has an- may still be avoided by nounced this re-orienta the United States. What tion of American policy in the President has done is calm clear tones which a to throw down the gaunt-child could understand. let to the Axis, with an in- After the terrific recoil of vitation to start some- the Bismarck episode, this thing" if they doubt the second bitter pill is cal intention of the United culated to cause acutely "States to use their armed sour stomachs in Berlin.

or New-

no measure

seriously the advance notice of by the Axis powers

an 'impos=