U.S.A. and the War in Europe.

This subject is causing considerable anxiety in Europe just at present. If there is war in Europe, will U.S.A. come in on the side of the democracies; or will she stay neutral and supply the sinews of war; or will she just remain completely aloof? Charles Plank, former V.U.C. student, is at present in the U.S.A. and his views on the situation are printed hereunder:—

"You ask about the ideas over here so far as war is concerned. Well, I think from general observation that they think that war is not imminent at the present time. It is thought that as long as Hitler only talks then that is alright. Furthermore it is considered that the recent statements of Roosevelt indicate that he is in favour of helping the democracies, and Hitler has realized that. I have talked to a lot of people here about the entry or otherwise of America into the next war. Taking everything into consideration I think that America would be into the next war within three months or say six at the outside. Most Americans are definitely in favour of maintaining their neutrality but they are getting jittery about what will happen if England and France lose. Furthermore their desires and ideas on their traditional neutrality are not so positive as of old. Also a recent scientific poll conducted in the States indicated that about 18 per cent, of the people are in favour of fighting for the European democracies. Now if that relatively high percentage is in favour of fighting when we are at peace, how many more people will favour it when London and Paris are in ruins and the papers are starring those terrible atrocities which can be dug up in any war Then again how many influential people over here are Jews, and you know how they love the German top dog just now. Personally I think that Roosevelt has realised that the American nation cannot permit the democracies of Europe to go under. America has got a lot of worries so far as the nazification of Central and South America is concerned, and a nazi England would put U.S.A. in the soup properly.

The columnists in the "New York Times" and in the "New York Herald Tribune." especially Dorothy Thompson in the latter are specially worth reading and they should be in the Wellington Public Library. Dorothy Thompson wields a tremendous amount of influence throughout the States as she is very popular, coming next to Mrs. Roosevelt in a recent nation-wide poll, and her articles, which are published in a very large number of papers, are all pro-British.

But when you read American news you must first determine whether the paper is a Republican or a Democratic one. In interpreting what you read this is most important.

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