AMERICA AND THE WAR
Conference Plans.—At the close of March the United States Government extended invitations to 38 countries, including all the United Nations, to send delegates to a conference on post-war problems of food and agricultural production. The conference was to be held in this country and was regarded as a first step toward unified policy beyond the war period among the nations joined in the anti-Axis coalition. Up to early April, nine nations, including the United Kingdom, the Soviet Republic, and China, had accepted the invitation.
Other projected meetings included a conference on refugee problems, which was to convene at Bermuda sometime in April. This was to be limited in scope and essentially exploratory in purpose, with the United States and Britain as the chief participants. It was also announced in April that representatives of the United Nations had been asked to confer at their convenience with Washington officials on the matter of post-war currency stabilization. Tentative proposals suggested the creation of an international fund of $5,000,000,000 to be used in stabilizing the currency of participating nations on a gold basis.
Foreign Minister Eden’s Visit.—British Foreign Minister Anthony Eden, with a considerable staff of assistants, arrived in Washington on March 12 for an exchange of views and study of problems with American leaders which continued until the close of the month. On his departure for a shorter visit to the Canadian capital at Ottawa, he confirmed President Roosevelt’s comment that the conversations had revealed at least “95 per cent agreement” between Britain and the United States on the problems considered. In his report to Parliament following his return, Mr. Eden said that the consultations had been devoted in part to military and political problems of the war itself, and in part to a preview of post-war problems, such as rehabilitation and food distribution, care of refugees, and future relations with allied, neutral, and enemy nations. Political problems in North Africa, and no doubt also relations with the Soviet Republic, were included in the discussions. On these matters the Foreign Secretary reported substantial progress and a much better understanding of the American point of view, adding that in his opinion Anglo-American relations should be based, not on sentiment or ties of language and tradition, but on the actual community of interests of the two nations. Secretary of State Cordell Hull was urged to pay a return visit to London in the coming summer.
Relations with Russia.—As already suggested, Anglo-American relations with Soviet Russia were presumably given attention in Mr. Eden’s talks in Washington. Speaking in London at the close of March, Premier Churchill expressed the need of a post-war “world institution,” including the United Nations and eventually all nations; and, subordinate to it, a “Council of Europe” and a “Council of Asia.” The Council of Europe, he said, must “eventually embrace the whole of Europe, and the main branches of the European family must some day be partners.” In such a council of Europe, in the event of United Nations victory, Britain and the Soviet Republic would necessarily exert a controlling power. Their co-operation is already pledged by the Anglo-Russian treaty negotiated in May of last year, which provides for collaboration for peace and security over a period of 20 years. Whether the United States would ever join a European council, as a “branch of the European family,” remained doubtful. The indicated attitude was rather that this country would take a part in any general international system, but would feel impelled to keep out of a council devoted to more strictly European affairs. On the other hand, the need for immediate and wholehearted co-operation with Moscow on the part of both Britain and the United States was emphasized in the speech of Vice President Wallace earlier in March, in which he said that “unless the western democracies and Russia come to a satisfactory understanding before this war ends, I very much fear that World War 3 will be inevitable ... a grave possibility of Russia and Germany sooner or later making common cause.”
LATIN AMERICA
French Guiana Quits Vichy.—The military forces in French Guiana in the third week of March headed a popular movement which took the colony out of Vichy control and out of the supervision of Admiral Robert at Martinique. The ousted Vichy governor, Rene Weber, took refuge in Brazil. Both General Giraud and General de Gaulle were notified of the change, and both appointed temporary and permanent governors to take over control. The Giraud appointee for temporary governor, Colonel Albert le Bel, at once left his post with the Giraud military commission in Washington, and arrived at Cayenne on March 23. Evidently the question of permanent authority in the colony would have to be threshed out by the two French generals in future conference.
At Martinique, Admiral Robert showed no eagerness to come to a better understanding with the United Nations, but it appeared likely that his attitude might be changed by suspension of food shipments to the French West Indies. Robert has declined to turn over French merchant shipping for United Nations use; and there is also the question of $600,000,000 of French gold reported to have been sent to Martinique before the fall of France.
Ministers Become Ambassadors.— On March 23 President Roosevelt requested the Senate’s approval for a change raising the rank of all our diplomatic representatives to the 20 Latin American republics to that of ambassador, without increase of pay. The only Latin American countries where our representatives do not already hold ambassadorial rank are the Dominican Republic, Hayti, and the five small republics of Central America. As a matter of course, the diplomatic representatives of these countries in Washington will be given similar advancement.
Vice President Wallace’s Tour.—In late March Vice-President Henry A. Wallace set out on a three-week good-will and information-seeking tour of Latin America which included visits to Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia. In Chile all nine political parties joined in the reception to the American visitor, and 100,000 people listened to his speech on March 28 at Santiago, delivered in Spanish, and expressing the belief that the dream of brotherhood among nations was being made good in the Americas. Leaving Chile on April 2, the Vice-President spoke of President Rios’ projected visit to Washington, scheduled for early June. In Peru Mr. Wallace spoke of Pan-American unity as the “vertebral column” of a future world organization.
Bolivia Declares War.—On April 7 Bolivia announced a state of war with Italy and Germany, and by Presidential decree called for an immediate mobilization. Since Bolivia is inland, it appeared that the mobilization was intended chiefly to stabilize internal conditions and increase production. Brazil and Bolivia are the only South American nations thus far to enter the war, though ten of the smaller Central American states have issued war declarations against the Axis, and all of the 21 American republics except Argentina have severed relations.
FRENCH AFRICA
General Giraud’s Reforms.—With United Nations encouragement, the government of General Giraud in North Africa during March and early April adopted vigorous measures of democratic reform. These were emphasized in General Giraud’s strong speech on March 13, in which he declared the immediate abrogation of all Vichy edicts put into effect after the fall of France, announced the restoration of local assemblies, and again expressed his readiness to co-operate with all Frenchmen hostile to the Vichy regime. A clean-out of former pro-Vichy officials was indicated by the resignation of General Bergeret as Deputy High Commissioner, of Jean Rigaud as Secretary for Political Affairs, and of M. Jacques Lemaigre-de Breuil, another former Vichy man closely associated with Rigaud. Thus among officials objectionable to the Free French, the only one of much prominence still continued in authority was General Charles Nogués, Governor General of Morocco. The repeal of Vichy statutes included all restrictive edicts issued against the Masons and the Jews. However, the Jews found some cause for complaint in the repeal at the same time of an old statute of 1870 which granted automatic citizenship to Jews born in the French territories. From now on, both Jews and Arabs are on the same level, and must make formal application for citizenship, presumably calling for acceptance of the French Civil Code (prohibiting polygamy).
Giraud-de Gaulle Rapproachement. —At the close of March General Giraud held a series of conferences with General Georges Catroux, Free French representative, seeking a basis for complete political and military unity among all Frenchmen joined in the struggle to free their native land. General Giraud expressed a readiness to meet again with General de Gaulle, and the latter, in a broadcast from London on March 26, stated his intention to confer soon in Africa with that “great soldier and noble figure,” General Giraud. In early April, however, General de Gaulle’s visit to North Africa was postponed for a time at the suggestion of General Eisenhower’s political staff. The deferment was evidently based on the feeling that political conferences might be inopportune when all the energies of the allies were concentrated on military operations. On his return from the United States Secretary of Foreign Affairs Anthony Eden gave assurances that in respect to French policy the American and British governments were now in complete accord.
Sicily as Invasion Point.—The following passage on the possibilities of Sicily as an invasion point for the United Nations appeared in an article on “Italy after Mussolini,” by the refugee Italian writer and politician Luigo Sturzo, in the April Foreign Affairs:
In Sicily there is not a village, whether it be lost among the mountains of the interior or sprawled along the slopes of Etna, which has not sent whole families to work and live in the United States. Up to the outbreak of war, a steady correspondence was always maintained between those at home and their American relatives. There also were many “Americans” (as they are called in Sicily) who went back to the old country and bought houses and farms with their dollars. Often the street where they settled or built is called “the street of the Americans.” All through the island, then, the starred flag of the United States is known and loved as a friendly flag. This seems to me an important psychological consideration, and when the time comes for the occupation of Sicily I think it should lead to the use of American troops for the purpose in preference to any others. The Sicilian people would understand that they were not coming to Sicily to conquer her, to keep her in pawn, to develop permanent naval bases there (as has sometimes been alleged), but instead to bring about the liberation of Sicily, as of the whole of Italy, from both Nazi and Fascist domination.
AXIS POLITICS
Hitler Speaks Again.—After a prolonged silence, giving rise to reports of a mental breakdown or other illness, Herr Hitler spoke briefly in Berlin at the close of March on the occasion of the German “Heroes’ Day” commemoration. Like other recent Nazi pronouncements, the speech emphasized Germany’s present pose as the “saviour of Europe from the world of barbarism threatening from the east.” Only 14 minutes in length, the speech was delivered with little of the Fuehrer’s customary violence or assurance, and appeared intended rather to insinuate to England and America that a peace with Berlin might be preferable to the “menace of Bolshevism.”
Danish Elections.—Despite reports that they had been canceled by Nazi orders, the Danish parliamentary elections were held on March 24. The big vote of over 90 per cent of the electorate was a demonstration of continued Danish loyalty to the cause of democracy. The five leading national parties polled about 95 per cent of the total vote, while the Danish Nazis and other minor pro-German groups received fewer than 100,000 votes out of a total of nearly 2,000,000. About 895,000 votes went to the Social Democratic party, and the Conservatives stood next with 421,000. The leader of the latter party, J. C. Moeller, is in exile and heads a Danish Council in London.
Axis Moves in Spain.—The sudden death in mid-March of Hans von Moltke, recently appointed German ambassador to Spain, cut short what has been described as a vigorous campaign on his part to enlist Spanish support in the North African war. According to reports, he had succeeded to some extent in supplying troops in Spanish Morocco with German equipment and a sprinkling of German personnel, and had sought to make of these forces a continued menace on the flank of the Anglo-American armies. Moltke’s efforts were also directed toward securing increased Spanish support for the war on the Russian front.
Bulgaria Pressed for Aid.—At the close of March it was announced that the Fuehrer had conferred in Germany with King Boris of Bulgaria and had called for increased Bulgarian participation in the war effort, particularly in view of the menace of a United Nations invasion. The response of Bulgaria was not revealed, though Bulgarian forces have been busy strengthening defenses along the Turkish border and on the coasts of the Black Sea and the Aegean. On April 3 Bulgaria and Rumania signed an agreement relating to the administration of the Lower Dobruja area, ceded by Rumania to Bulgaria in September, 1940; and Italy was also reported to have come to an agreement with Bulgaria over disputes along the Bulgarian-Albanian frontier. These could perhaps be taken as further efforts to satisfy Bulgarian claims and win her support.
Trade with Turkey.—In late March Dr. Karl Clodius, Germany’s barter expert and trade pact negotiator, was again in Turkey seeking a renewal of the Turko-German barter agreement of last year. In that agreement Turkey promised shipment of 45,000 tons of chrome, in return for which Germany was to ship stipulated quantities of manufactured goods and war materials. German deliveries, however, amounted to not more than 35 to 40 per cent of the requirements, and included no munitions. In view of the changed situation in the Mediterranean and Near East, it appeared that Turkish trade with the Reich would be more limited than last year.
FAR EAST
Fishing Pact Renewed.—The Soviet Government and Japan on March 24 announced agreement on terms for a renewal of the Siberian Fishing Pact for the year ending Dec. 31, 1943. Last year the price of the concessions was raised 20 per cent, and this year the Japanese have agreed on a 4 to 5 per cent additional increase. The renewal of the agreement, though later than usual, was regarded as routine procedure—failure to do so would have shown a serious strain in Russo-Japanese relations.
More Power for Tojo.—The end of the Japanese Diet session in March was marked by the passing of a number of measures designed to increase the Government’s war-time powers. Local elections were further restricted, criminal penalties for criticism of the administration were stepped up, and the Prime Minister was accorded increased power to deal with all questions of “labor, materials, motive power and capital.” Since the abolition of parties in Japan, the Diet has become merely a hand-picked collection guaranteed to register approval of government demands. Even so, the interpellations of a small minority showed some uncertainty as to the wisdom of the militarists’ rule.
Britain and India.—In an article on “India in the Modem World,” in the April Foreign Affairs, Lord Hailey, for forty years a British official in India, offers a strong defense of British Indian policy and British colonial policy in general. He points out that of over 250,000,000 people in the world under colonial rule, Britain is responsible for only 67,000,000 (excluding India). Only 12 per cent of her trade is with these colonies, and only 25 per cent of their imports come from the United Kingdom. The total British investment in the colonies is only a little over $1,000,000,000. As regards India, he points not only to the British standing offer of post-war independence, subject to agreement of internal groups, but also to the great progress already made in local self-government. India has grown in population from 206 million in 1872 to 388 million, and is now producing 90 per cent of the textiles and nearly all the steel used in the country. According to his figures, also, a considerable majority of the officials in the civil service, judiciary, etc., are native. India in 1938 received only 30 per cent of her imports from Britain, and British trade with South Africa was greater by $12,000,000 than with India.
The trade with India has undoubtedly been profitable to Britain in the past. It is still of value today though not of that dominant value which has been supposed. But the British can claim on their part to have given to India an ordered administration, a sense of national consciousness, the substance of economic and financial maturity. They have brought her within a measurable distance of full self-government. They may now legitimately ask whether it is not to the advantage of India that they should give the political groups an opportunity to combine in some form of constitution which promises a stable government, rather than that they should leave India in the state of dissension and instability, and probably of armed conflict, which would follow their immediate withdrawal.