As a result of recent Anglo-American negotiations Great Britain has agreed to lease no fewer than nine sites to the United States, stretching from the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland, to the vicinity of George-lown in British Guiana. Of these the bases in Newfoundland and the Bahamas will be leased without any consideration, while the remaining seven will be in exchange for 1 military equipment which the United States "will transfer to the British Government. In reply to the British Note announcing this decision, Mr, Cordell Hull, U.S. Secretary of State accepted the British proposals and stated that the Government of the United States "will immediately transfer to His 1 Government 50 United States 3 Navy destroyers generally referred as of the F 1,200-ton Thus, in the one class 3 ish Navy has suffered most, valuable nts will be received, which in addition to those vessels comis-p sioned since the commencement of the war, should bring the destroyer strength to more imposing dimensions than at the beginning of hostilities.
"This increase in the most useful type of vessel for patrol and convoy work is most valuable coming at the time it has, but as it has been most rightly remarked one of the most important.gains to Great Britain
t stand in unquestioned support poroen fact that the United behind the British war effort, At the time of writing only information regarding the manner in which this news was received was that the Nazis are reported be maintaining extreme caution on the subject, German authorities alleging that the transfer involved "vast and important questions and that it was impossible to define the Nazi attitude without a thorough study as it involves many aspects of international law." The reference to. international law in this connection will undoubtedly create 4 the cynical amusement it merits, for though Germany has consistently ignored it throughout this. war, she will most surely invoke it if that process is likely to give her any advantage.
Whether the United States will seek to sapuna Athar; bases besides those obtained Britain has not yet been disclosed, but the long chain of stations stretching from Newfoundland, and possibly eventually from Greenland, to the southern coast of the Gulf of Mexico should be sufficient to secure the efficient defence of the northera portion of the western hemisphere.
It still remains to be seen what dispositions the United States to assist Great Britain to the fullest short of (o war has assumed
when it was first announced. The transfer portance than it had of the destroyers was made all the easier
ited States that in the event of the waters official British notification to the Britain becoming untenable,
Navy either surrendering or scuttling. The aid be no question of the British assurance should hardly have been necessary, for the British leave the habit of scuttling to the enemy, but it is, perhaps, just as well that sugh an assurance should have -been given.
It is more than likely that the action which has been taken by President Roosevelt will arouse a storm of criticism from those who still hold strongly to the doctrine of isolation, but it is interesting and important to note that the Democratic and Republican platforms in connection with this war are identical, and in all probability he has done nothing which Mr. Willkie himself would not do were he returned to office next November. President Roose-/velt's critics will probably have their field-day in Congress, but there is little likelihood: that their opinions will have much effect upon the general policy of the United States' Government vis-à-vis of Great Britain in her present struggle. The announcement of what has been arranged, coming as it did on the anniversary of the entry of Great Britain and. France into the war may be accepted as a happy augury for the future. In the political field it is a decided reverse to the Germans who thus see all their frantic efforts at propaganda in the United States frustrated in the completest manner possible.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.