It is becoming increasingly obvious to the American citizen that the war in Europe is just as much their war as it is the war of the Allies. What is at stake is not merely the British, Dutch and Belgian empires, but the vital principle of freedom—whether mankind shall continue on the road of progress and civilization or whether he shall be lifted spiritually ana physically back to the era of the Middle Ages. It is significant that two of the key men in the American administration have denounced the Neutrality Act during the last few days. while President Roosevelt's letter to the head of the US. Maritime Commission, Rear-Admiral Emory S. Land, made his views on the matter quite clear. In the summaries which have so far been cabled to Shanghai, the President made no mention of the Neutrality Act, but he declared that United States vessels "will carry through the seven seas implements of war which will help to destroy the menace to free people everywhere." This statement would appear to mean that the President believes that the usefulness of the Neutrality Act, which forbids the use of belligerent seas to United States ships, has ceased to exist, and that it is time that fresh measures were undertaken. Said the President: "Tf we are going to keep away from our shores the forces which have convulsed the Old World ona now menace the New, the job will be done in a large measure by the ships and sailors of the merchant marine and by the working men who build ships and supply them. If they fail, the whole effort fails." And in another passage he makes it plain that he refers to the United States merchant marine and no other, when he says: "More and faster ships will be built and manned by trained American seamen." The first clause of the "Cash and Carry" legislation was ín a large extent swept away by the Lend and Lease Act. It seems that shortly the second the "Carry" clause, will go the same The sooner this happens the better for all concerned, including the United States. It has been emphasized many times that this is a war of weapons. The Nazis gained several years start in their preparations and are therefore much better prepared with weapons than are the Allies, who pinned their faith up to almost the last moment in peace. It is therefore the duty of those nations who believe in the ideals for which the Allies are fighting to exert their utmost efforts to see that the advantage the Nazis possess is quickly nullified. This is being done, but with the Nazis intensifying their campaign against convoys, through the U-boat, the surface raider, and the bomber, there is great amount of effort going to waste. This should not and will not be allowed to continue, if the utterances of the leading statesmen of America can be believed. The cause of the Allies and that of the Western Hemisphere is a common one. N the Allies are forced to submit to Hitlers "new order"—of which there is little chance at present—then it will very quickly be the turn of the Western Hemisphere to meet the challenge. One of the greatest disintegrating forces the world has ever seen, Naziism, cannot stop once it has begun to move until it has overrun the whole world. The overthrow of Nazism is just as important for the nations which have sp far been only indirectly affected, as it is for those who are now engaged in the life and death struggle. This fact is appreciated les, and action can ac-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.