Evening star. [volume], November 08, 1939, Page A-5, Image 5

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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I Basis Is Being Laid
In Shanghai for
U. S.-Japanese Talks
Tokio's Minister at Large
Arrives for Start of
Exploratory Pcrleys
By A. T. STEELE,
Chicago Dally News Foreign Correspondent,
SHANGHAI, Nov. 8 (By radio).—
The arrival here tonight of Skomotsxi
Kato, Japanese Minister at Large
Is expected to signalize the opening
of exploratory discussions with
American and British diplomatic
representatives on this collision
ground of Japanese and Occidental
influences. Japanese declare that
Kato is coming here not to negotiate
but rather to lay the foundation for
future negotiations in Washington
and elsewhere.
When Kato arrives he will find
the American cruiser Augusta, flag
ship of the Asiatic fleet, dominating
the water front of Shanghai’s Inter
national Settlement and symbolizing
the new importance of the American
Navy in the Far Eastern picture.
British war vessels, which for years
have overshadowed the Bund, have
been withdrawn for war service,
leaving only a few picayunish gun
boats.
j Within the past month the
Japanese have made a practical be
ginning in their efforts to improve
relations with thp United States by
settling a fev, irritating points of
friction. The hostile and indifferent
attitude of Japanese authorities on
the spot has turned into cordiality,
and protests are no longer ignored,
but are now usually answered. Other
concrete manifestations of good will
are the restoration of Shanghai
j University to its American owners,
a diminution of slapping incidents
and other assaults on Americans,
and the release of 5.000 tons of
American-owned tung oil which had
been detained at Hankow for the
past year.
Big issues are still unscratched and
a rather ominous note is the uncon
firmed report from Tokio that the
powers will be referred to the yet
unborn Japanese-sponsored Wang
Ching-wei government (projected
for Central China) if they attempt
to broach such vital questions as
the reopening of the Yangtze and
foreign claims on customs revenues.
tCopyright. 1939. Chicago Daily News, Inc.)
Peace
(Continued From First Page.)
for "a / new world in which the
nations will not permit insane armed
rivalry to deny their hopes of a
fuller life” and ”we are cietei mined
to see to it that Europe shall not
again be subjected to a repetition
of this tragedy.”
Typical of British press comment
was the London Daily Telegraph’s
remark that if Lord Halifax "had
had the message of King Leopold
and Queen Wilhelmina in mind, he
could not have made a more appro
priate and convincing reply."
German sources said it was not
known whether Adolf Hitler would
make a formal reply to the offer
to negotiate a settlement of the
European war through Foreign Min
ister Joachim von Ribbentrop. The
Fuehrer, in Munich for the annual
celebration of the Nazi beer cellar
putsch in 1923, has given no indi
cation of how he feels on the mat
ter, although he was carefully study
ing the offer.
Bar to Invasion Seen.
Whatever the results from the
mediation offer, observers in Brus
sels expressed belief it would make
doubly difficult any immediate vio
lation of Belgian or Netherlands
neutrality by the warring powers.
Fear that war would start in
earnest on the western front in a
few days was voiced by some Bel
gian quarters commenting on re
ports of German troop concentra
tions near the Netherlands frontier.
While little hope was held that
mediation would result from the
neighboring monarchs' offer, a Bel
gian foreign office spokesman said
“the general situation is slightly bet
ter this morning.”
May Follow Up Move.
Official circles at The Hague
hinted that King Leopold and Queen
Wilhelmina might follow up their
offer as peace mediators with diplo
matic contacts with Berlin, London
and Paris.
while these circles would not spec
ulate on the probable outcome of the
dramatic peace appeal, an atmos
phere of moderate but cautious opti
mism was apparent at The Hague.
It was conceded that this opti
mism was based on the belligerent
powers’ apparent reluctance to initi
ate major offensives rathe® than cn
any reaction produced thus far by
the mediation offer.
If the offer is not rejected out
right. Dutch government circles said,
it might be possible to make care
ful contacts with the belligerents
and thus give them further time to
express their views.
Polish Premier to Go to London.
It was disclosed in London that
the Polish Premier. Gen. Wladis
law Sikorski, and Foreign Minister
August Zaleski would visit the Brit
ish capital next week to confer with
Prime Minister Chamberlain and
Lord Halifax. The Polish govern
ment is in Paris.
The British cabinet considered the
Belgium-Netherlands peace appeal
at a meeting today, it was said au
thoritatively. The mediation offer,
which came as a surprise to Lon
don, however, apparently stirred
little British hope for concrete re
sults.
Premier Daladier conferred until
late last night at the war ministry
in Paris, but there was no hint of
official French reaction to the medi
ation suggestion.
Unofficially it was said that while
France and Britain had expressed
willingness to attend a peace con
ference under certain conditions, to
do so now would be tantamount to
accepting a German victory.
“They cannot nourish the least il
lusion as to the fate of their pro
posal,” commented Pertinax in
L’Ordre. He attributed the move to
German pressure on Belgium and
the Netherlands, which he said had
been increasing in the past 15 days.
Sensation in Berlin.
The offer was a sensation in Berlin
government offices. Surprise was ap
parent that it should be made -at
this time, with the war already more
than two months old.
The authoritative commentary,
Dienst aus Deutschland, said, “It
will be weighed with all the serious
ness its deserves.”
The average German citizen, rely
ing on the daily press, was largely
unaware of the proposal. Indicating
an apparent lack of instructions,
three German morning papers print
ed yesterday's communique from
The Hague inconspicuously on page
2 without comment, while the re
maining two carried nothing at all.
Attack on Neutrals Ceases.
Newspaper attacks on the little
neutrals for not energetically pro
testing the British blockade's effect
on their shipping ceased today as
abruptly as they started yesterday.
Germany, authorized sources said,
finds fault with neutrals because
i “they keep smiling when their toes
are stepped upon by Britain"—a
reference to the British blockade.
So long as that attitude remains
mediation offers are futile, these
sources said.
Evidently it was decided to halt
newspaper agitation until Hitler had
considered the neutral proposal. He
had expressed “welcome” of a similar
j offer made by Belgium and the Neth
erlands three days before the in
vasion of Poland, September 1.
Some officials expected a favorable
reception this time, but the first
Nazi reaction was that the best
mediation opportunity had been
missed after Hitler's October 6
“peace" speech.
Although initiative for advancing
the mediation proposals was credited
to Leopold, informed quarters at The
Hague said Queen Wilhelmina could
be expected^ to take an active hand
in any diplomatic negotiations that
might be conducted.
The offer was the second made by
the King and Queen. On August 29.
three days before Germany invaded
Poland, the sovereigns fruitlessly
proffered their good offices to medi
ate.
Some sources intimated the pres
ent proposal was prompted by be
lief that Germany was about to
gamble on an attack against the
I Maginot Line.
reace besture Reported
Result of German Note
By Radio to The Star.
PARIS, Nov. 8—King Leopold’s
visit to The Hague, according to in
i formation reaching this correspond
ent. was decided upon by a council
of ministers held at Brussels to
examine Germany's stern note of
last Saturday, which requested
1 clarification of Belgium's neutrality
j and of its relationship to Holland
| Revelation of the delivery of this
! virtual ultimatum in Brussels was
made Monday.
Two possible stands which the
Belgians might decide to take in
face of the German menace were
discussed in the course of that cab
inet meeting, according to the
latest information:
1. A definite understanding be
tween the two neutrals by which
they would regard their respective
security and integrity as interde
pendent.
2. To accept the German demands
and make a renewed declaration
of neutrality, emphasizing the desire
of Belgium and Holland to show
complete impartiality toward the
two warring camps.
With Holland, it is believed, re
jecting the first proposal because of
the possibility of its precipitating
crisis, both parties agreed to a
somewhat modified expression of
the second proposal. This took the
form of a peace appeal, reiterating
the former appeal made by both
countries shortly before the out
break of hostilities.
The impression prevailing among
French official circles is that this
new peace appeal, despite the excel
lence of its intentions, stands little
chance of finding a hospitable echo
in France, in view of the impossi
bility of discovering any acceptable
grounds for discussion with the
German dictator.
To what extent the element of
fear has influenced Belgium and
Holland in addressing this appeal to
the belligerents is the question
asked in Paris newspapers today,
particularly in view of the intensifi
cation of German military prepara
tions and the massing of mechan
ized troops on the borders of these
two countries.
This, however, may be interpreted
as either a move preparatory to
launching an attack on one or both,
or else a new phase in the “war of
nerves.”
(Copyright, 19.38. by Chicago
Daily News. Inc.)
i -.- ~ "***
LANGLEY FIELD. V A—RECEIVE AVIATION AWARD—Lt. Col. Robert C. Olds (left), command
er of the 2d Bombardment Group, General Headquarters Air Force, is shown receiving from
Secretary of War Woodring (holding paper) the Mackay Trophy for the most meritorious contri
bution to United States Army aviation in 1938 at a ceremony here yesterday. At the extreme left
is Maj. Gen. Henry H. Arnold, chief of the Army Air Corps, and next to him is Maj. Gen. Delos C.
Emmons, who commands the G. H. Q. Air Force. Col. Jacob W. Wuest, commanding officer at
Langley Field, may be seen standing behind the trophy. The award was made in recognition of
an 11,032-mile goodwill flight to Argentina. _A. P. Photo.
Princess Sues Lord Rothermere
For Aid to 'Kingmaker' Role
Bj the Associated Press.
LONDON, Nov. 8.—A suit by Prin
cess Stefanie Hohenlohe-Walden
burg-Schillingsfuerst against Lord
Rothermere, publisher of the London
Daily Mail, for breach of contract,
under which she asserts she was
to receive £5,000 (about $20,0001 a
year for acting as his special politi
cal representative in Europe, was
heard today.
Counsel lor the former wife of a
Hungarian prince said Lord Rother
mere "told the princess in 1927 that
he had decided to work for the
restoration of the Hohenzollern and
Hapsburg dynasties. He wanted to
be a modem Warwick—the king
maker—and work on the European
rather than the English field.”
Later, the counsel said, the prin
cess "rejected an idea that was put
forward that Lord Rothermere's son,
Esmond, should be suggested as the
king of Hungary.”
Other high lights in her attorney’s
arguments were:
(1) She obtained from Adolf
Hitler in 1934 an invitation for Lord
Rothermere to visit him in Eerlin.
(2) “Lord Rothermere had a royal
reception and told her that Hitler
would make her a duchess.
(3) “The accounts showed that
over a period of five and one-half
years Lord Rothermere paid the
princess £46,000 (about $185,000
dollars).
(4) A "heated discussion” when
Lord Rothermere was apparently
suggesting he was gome to drop her
as an employe onded "with Lord
Rothermere telling her he would
pay her the £5,000 for the rest of
her life.”
The 43-year-old princess testified
she met the 71-year-old Lord Roth
ermere about 1925 and interested him
in the cause of Hungary at a
luncheon in Monte Carlo.
"He told me there was very little
news in his paper and said he would
be grateful for any original ideas,”
she asserted.
In 1927-28 Lord Rothermere es
poused the cause of Hungary and
made efforts to get the Treaty of
Trianon revised.
Sir Oswald Mosley, leader of the
Fascist British blackshirt organi
zation, received Lord Rothermeres
support in 1934. The pubjisher was
severely criticized in many quarters
for this.
Princess Stephanie, nee Richter,
| was born in Vienna and married
Prince Francis of Hohenlohe-Wal
denburg Schillingsfuerst in London
in 1914. They had one son and
were divorced in 1920. For many
years she lived in France.
Nazi Pressure Seen
Behind Neutrals'
Move for Peace
Germany Increasing
Protests on Belgian
And Dutch Policy
Bv PERTINAX.
PARIS. Nov. 8 i N.A.N.A.l.—It is
difficult to believe that King Leo
pold of Belgium and Queen Wilhel
mina of the Netherlands and their
Ministers entertain the least illusion
about the fate of their joint peace
initiative. If they did, the speech
delivered by Viscount Halifax, the
British foreign secretary, must have
brought them back to their senses.
But the theory accepted by most
is that both sovereigns did not
think for one minute that they
would succeed in inducing France
and Britain to rally to proposals
which could not but put the seal on
the destruction of Austria, Czecho
slovakia and Poland, suppress all
organized resistance to the Hitlerian
empire and invest the latter with an
insuperable hegemony practically
over the whole European continent.
The two heads of state have lent the
peace offensive begun by Adolf Hit
ler on October 6 a support which
neither Josef Stalin, Premier Mus
solini, Gen. Franco nor any of the
Scandinavian states have been bold
enough to give.
Reich Protests Increase.
About the form taken by German
pressure, full information is not
available here. But it is a well
established fact that German pro
tests against "unneutral” articles
published in the Belgian press and
against negotiations conducted in
London and Paris by the Belgian
and Dutch cabinets to reconcile the
rules of the Anglo-French blockade
with the requirements of their na
tional economies have gradually be
come during the last fortnight more
and more brutal. The German
l~" =
rulers raised objections to the sug- !
gestion submitted more than once to !
the Dutch government by the Bel- i
gian in the last few weeks to the 1
effect that the military defenses of
both countries should be closely
co-ordinated.
Neutral Policy Creates Peril.
To understand what followed, it
must be kept in mind that when
Belgium was released by France and
Britain from her obligations of al
liance in March, 1937, and, to replace
them, obtained a unilateral promise
of French and British military help,
she pledged herself in return to keep
an adequate army and to resist the
invasion of her ow'n frontiers.
As late as last September Bel
gium had a chance to be included
within the protective framework of
the Franco-British military system.
Now, as she perceives that Hit
lerian Germany is inclined to con
centrate upon an aerial and sub
marine attack on Great Britain, she
fears to be turned into a battlefield.
Her policy of neutrality has there
fore created for her the very peril
from which she strove to escape.
An obsolete conception of neu
trality is, in the last analysis, at
the root of both nations' trouble.
Quiet, Please!
FARLEY, N. Mex., Nov. 8 </P).—The
law has caught up with Farley. A
citizens’ committee, angered by a
Saturday night riot that injured 100
persons, demanded county commis
sioners give a thought to law en
forcement.
The commissioners assigned a
constable, deputy sheriff and justice
of the peace to hold Farley’s exuber
ance in check.
Gibraltar boasts it has no trains,
no street cars and no public debt.
Cabinet Shifts Loom
In Britain in New
Parliament Session
Food Minister Morrison,
Under Increasing Fire,
Seen Sure to Go
By HELEN KIRKPATRICK.
Chicago Dally News Foreign Correspondent.
LONDON, Nov. 8.—In a fortnight’s
time the present session of Parlia
ment will probably end and the King
will convene a new session imme
diately without the usual ceremonial.
The new session is Parliament’s op
portunity for making governmental
changes if the Prime Minister de
sires, and there are some indications
that important changes will be made.
As the days pass criticism of Pood
Minister William S. Morrison con
tinues to increase as first a rationing
scheme is proposed, then altered and
modified. He is undoubtedly one
minister who will go if there are any
changes. Another whose adminis
tration ls under exceptionally heavy
fire is Leslie Burgin, supply minister.
Mr. Bergin has never been popular
nor regarded as an outstanding man,
and it is felt that 'the supply job
is the most Important, next to those
of the service ministers.
Pressure on Chamberlain.
There Ls great pressure being put
on Prime Minister Neville Chamber
lain to reconstruct the economic life
of the country by putting industry,
supply and raw materials under a
competent economic administrator.
Lord Stamp is discussed as a possible
candidate for the job.
Other changes are probably inev
itable in the war and air ministries.
Leslie Hore-Belisha has done an ex
cellent job in the eyes of many peo
ple, but his methods have aroused
considerable antagonism, and it ls
thought that a new war minister
will have to take over sooner or
later. Air Minister Sir Kingsley
Wood is reported not very happy
in his present position and might
be willing to hand over if a job
of equal importance were available.
It is possible that Sir Samuel
Hoare may be given some definite
job, for as it is he is lord privy
seal without any department and
therefore has plenty of time to
concern himself with all depart
ments.
The difficulty of any cabinet re
construction is the scarcity of out
standing men. Robert S. Hudson,
once regarded as a future candi
date for an important ministry, is
now out of the running owing to
his connection with the famous
£100.000,000 “loan” to Germany last
spring.
Eden May Get War or Air Post.
It is unlikely that Harold Balfour
undersecretary of air, will step up
into the minister's job. Anyway,
he is in Canada now attempting to
build up the Canadian airplane in
dustry. Although there are no in
dications so far, it is not impossible
that Maj. Anthony Eden, former
foreign secretary and now domin
ions secretary, might move into the
war or air ministry.
As the Indian situation continues,
the exceedingly difficult question is
raised once more of the possibility
of recalling the present viceroy,
Lord Linlithgow. The logical man
to take this place, and the man who
it is thought cherishes an ambition
in that direction, is Sir Samuel
Hoare, who drew up the India Act
of 1935. The man who could settle
the Indian question now would
probably be a step nearer the pre
miership than the one who must
take the inevitable criticism direct
ed against any important war
cabinet job.
Much depends on the events of
the next weeks as to whether the
changes will be made soon or de
ferred until next year. This time
there is no question of a change of
premiership, although there is still
important opposition to Mr. Cham
berlain inside the Conservative party
as well as in the opposition.
(Copyright, 1939, Chicago Daily News. Inc.)
Merchants of Honduras are in
creasing their orders for United
States goods.
Officials of the Soviet Embassy
who staged a reception last night
marking the 22nd anniversary of the
Communist revolution, filed away
today the longest list of "regrets”
sent to any diplomatic hosts here in
recent years.
No Government officials of rank,
no Senators, few society figures and
only a scattering of diplomats were
among the 1.083 to attend the em
bassy party. Only two Congressmen
were among the throng of guests
who moved up the red carpeted em
j oassy staircase past a painting of the
revolution, just brought here from
the New York World's Fair.
Representative John W. Boehne.
jr.. Democrat, of Indiana arrived
early with A. F. Koch, a friend
from his home town of Evansville,
telling questioners only that he
t "was invited, accepted and came.”
Another Representative present was
Frank Buck, Democrat, of Cali
! fornia. with Mrs. Buck. Most Con
gressmen had gone home after ad
, journment, but Mr. Boehne and Mr.
Buck had stayed for a Tax Com
mittee meeting.
Hull Avoids Receptions.
Secretary of State Hull does not
make it a practice to attend re
ceptions unless they are given by
a foreign Minister or visiting head
of state. Many diplomats have
shied away from social functions
recently on the plea of “too busy.”
Reasons for other absences noted
were varied. Lord Lothian, the Brit
ish Ambassador, had "a previous
engagement.” French, Japanese and
Italian Ambassadors were said to
be in New York. But many Con
gressmen had announced ahead of
time that they were not going: a
few declaring the reason was “the
international situation.”
President Roosevelt was not in
town and he never goes to such
affairs, so his absence was not
notable. However, he did not send
President Kalinin his customary
congratulatory message, and no
official comment was forthcoming.
Several Congressmen who did not
attend the Embassy party made it
clear that they did not merely forget.
They were not quite sure, they said,
that they wanted to eat pastry
swirls or sausages on toothpicks
under a picture of Soviet Premier
Molotoff, who criticized President
Roosevelt and the administration
neutrality legislation last week.
The crowds sampled the buffets,
although many were disappointed
during the latter half of the party
when they were told that the
sturgeon and champagne were gone.
There was vodka, however, both dry
and sweet; Scotch whisky mixed
with a Soviet-imported soda labeled
“The People's Commisariat of Public
Health”; punch, spiked and un
spiked ; coffee, tea, manhattans and
martinis.
Despite the absence of ranking
officials, the crowd present was
large. Among those seen were Edwin
S. Smith of the Labor Board with
Mrs. Smith; a White House Army
aide, Lt. Chester Hammond, and
Leon Henderson, securities commis
sioner.
A full account of the reception
appears in the Society Section^
page B-3.
Constitution Changes Lead
In Mississippi Returns
Bj the Associated Press.
JACKSON, Miss., Nov. 8—Scat
tered returns from yesterday’s gen
eral election indicated today rati
fication of State constitutional
amendments that would allow last
wills and testaments drawn in favor
of religious, educational and char
itable institutions.
Voters will not know the official
results, however, until next year.
The Legislature meeting in Janu
ary will make the first official tally
of the ballots.
Paul B. Johnson of Hattiesburg
was elected Governor without op
position, as were several other Dem
ocratic nominees for State offices.
Republican votes in the State art
negligible.
Canadian Navy Calls Up
40 Commercial Vessels
OTTAWA, Nov. 8 'Canadian
Press).—Forty commercial vessels
have been called up for service in
the Canadian Navy and naval per
sonnel has been more than doubled
since the war, a spokesman for the
national defense department said
last night.
A Canadian broadcast said many
of the 40 ships are in service as
mine sweepers, anti-submarine ves
sels, patrol or escort vessels or gate
vessels for anti-submarine booms.
The speaker said 1,800 reserves
had been added to the peacetime
naval personnel of some 1,700 offi
cers and men.
No Ranking U. S. Officials
Attend Soviet Reception
GERMANS AT RUSSIAN PARTY—Herr Hans Thomsen, Charge
d’Affaires of the German Embassy here, and Frau Thomsen,
shown as they arrived last night for the Russian Embassy
reception.
Col. Vincenzo Coppola, air and military attache at the
Italian Embassy, and Signora Livia Coppola Viola also attended
the Russian party. —A. P. and Harris & Ewing Photos.
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