While the Neutrality Bill constitutes the major legislative problem in the United States at the present time, and the isolationist bloc Is doing its utmost to defeat President Roosevelt's intention, an event of extreme importtance is taking' place related to American defence plans. 'That is the transference of the bulk' of the American fleet to Hawaii on a series of manceuvres shrouded in secrecy. It has long been contended that the American aval defence line lay somewhere in.the Pacific, and, although after the Seplember crisis of 1938 [when Europe was on the brink of war and a. special Atlante fleet comprised. cruisers was created for the Atlai transference of the American fleet through the Panama Canal, there has been no deviation from the cardinal principles of this policy. It fg now stated that as long as. the British fleet comprises no menace to the safety of the United [States—and naturally could not be considering. that its major purposes are now directed against Germany in the North Sea and the Atlantic—the Pacife problem on which American naval experts have been labouring #9 long does not diminish in importance but increases in view fof the uncertain and bewildering changes in Strategical plans, especially affecting Soviet which now emerges as a naval power although not on the same scale as Japan. Little {information thas been published regarding the purport of the American naval monquvres and the exercises to be held off Hawaii. Formerly, American naval movements have been a common topic of newspaper information and com. ment, Dut the latest arrangements reveal Hothing beyond the concentration of a large umber of warships in the Pacific at a time when the naval activities of other powers are centred elsewhere. It seems a foregone con-lusian that in the event of the excision of the farms embargo clause from the Neutrality Act, which will prevent American vessels carrying munitions 10. belligerent powers, there will be a wholesale transference of American merchant ships to the Pacife Ocean. This, in its, will provide an impetus to American mercantile marine development as other mercantile powers Will "be preoccupied using their vessels for Rational Services. Therefore, to the United States, politically, strategically and economic ally, the Pacifte Ocean assumes preponderating importance of which these latest development fare a sign.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.