May 1.
'The fact, disclosed by a poll conducted by the American magazine "Fortune," that 84.1 per cent. of leading American businessmen were of the opinion that a German victory' should be prevented at almost any cost is: significant as showing how public opinion in' the United States is advancing at even a greater rate than the development of President Roosevelt's policy. That is distinctly to the good, for it is being shown that the President is not forming public opinion, but rather interpreting it, and the interpretation is good for Great Britain and her Allies. 'That is being recognized by the German Press which is loud in' its denunciation of the Pre-' sident's recent declarations and literally foams at the mouth. President Roosevelt's declaration, that United States war vessels may enter combat zones if necessary in the defence of the Western Hemisphere, is another statement which has aroused Teutonic ire, for Germany sees in such statements as these the definite promise to Great Britain that the industries of the United States. are not going to spend time, effort ind money turning out war material' simply. for the Germans to send to the bottom of the sea, in this promise, that the United States will ensure delivery of the goods, if necessary, that Hitler sees his gravest peril. If he cannot prevent American supplies reaching the British Isles he will have lost thie Battle of the Atlantic just as surely as he lost the Battle of Great Britain last year, and with such a defeat ultimate British and Allied victory will be brought all the nearer. It is quite obvious that Hitler is out to force a decision this summer if at all possible, He probably realizes as his advisers must that the success in the Mediterranean, as General. 'Smuts so forcibly points out, need not necessarily be productive of anything more than Jocal advantage, that, even if the Germans were to cut, the line of communications vit 'Suez, Great' Britain would still be' able to carry on the war. Hence General Smuts' declaration that Hitler is gaining victories Dut losing the war. The struggle has already. lasted longer than he anticipated. He promised his people a swift success. He is now bogged down in a war which is by no means, to his liking, and becoming more and more distasteful as the American determination to secure the defence of the Western Hemisphere through assistance to Britain grows, Hf, for purposes of the defence of the Americas, it is necessary to send the naval forces of the United States into any part of the seven seas, whether into German, de~ clared combat zones or not, those forces will be sent. Already the United States Navy is maintaining patrols at greater distances from. the coast than ever before, and it is quite clear that, if the Germans seck to interfere with them, appropriate action will be taken. Thus 2,000 miles from the American coast US. naval vessels are performing their functions. That would bring them within easy reach of the shores of Great Britain, should that be necessary, and, if President Roosevelt is finally forced to decide that the US. Navy will have to convoy war materials to Great Britain, the development of a further patrol system should' not present any unsurmountable difficulty.
Naturally all this is unpleasant for the Germans. But the fact is that Hitler has so completely revealed himself and his ambitions that he has proved himself to be the best possible propagandist on the side of the Allies that could be desired. The full realization by the masses of the United States of what _a German victory would mean, the enslavement of peoples and the abolition of those rights for which English-speaking peoples have fought for centuries, has been brought to them not by the speeches of Pre~ sident Roosevelt, not by British propaganda, but by the declarations and actions of Hitler himself. Hence German chagrin over recent developments and the possibility of others in the future. Great Britain with the resources of the Empire and the United States behind her is in a better position to carry on the struggle against Hitler than at any time since the war commenced. Added to that import~ ant fact is the determination of the British people that this war cannot come to an end until the menace of Naziism has been com= pletely wiped out. It may take some time to do $0, but the British masses and the people of the United States are determined that cost what it may, it shall be done.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.