Batavia, May 30.
The proclamation of national emergency by President Roosevelt was considered by the "Batavia Nieuwsblad" today as the last step before the United States threw itself into the war.
The world, it continued, was waiting for an "incident" which was unavoidable, as President Roosevelt had declared he would see to it that war materials would reach their destination.
The paper believed that the. way io actual participation in war must be slowly prepared, and that the President could not force the situation because this took time, It considered, however, it was unthinkable that the United States, after all the measures which had been taken, would keep aloof, The "Nieuws Vanden Dag" remarked that the controversy between the United States and Germany had reached a climax after President Roosevelt's speech, One shell on a United States ship and Germany signs his verdict," it added.
The "Java Bode" showed disappointment and commented: "Deeds have been announced and words have been given." The paper agreed that the President now had dictatorial powers, but had expected that the proclamation of national emergency would be followed by a long series of executive orders which should have been made ready in advance.—
Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.