The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-06-17
GERMANY DOES NO
 REAL PROTESTING
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 assets and closure of consulates." Correspondents then attempted other questions regarding German American relations, but the spokes- man halted the questioning and said:
 we absolutely refuse to speak regarding these questions today"
 German quarters said that the United States actions still were be- ing investigated closely and that they would be studied by the "high- est" German quarters.
 American Quarters Wait
 American quarters await e d tensely today offlcial German reac- tion-and perhaps retaliation-to President Roosevelt's orders closing German consulates and propaganda agencies in the United States and freezing all German funds there.
 Authorized quarters reYused to comment on possible German ac- tion until the government had com- pleted careful study of the full implications of the presidents or. ders and had decided on its course. It was evident that both the closure order and the fund freezing decrees came as complete surprises.
 The obvlous course would be Ger man retaliation on the same basis closing of American consulates and other agencies and freezing of American funds in Germany.
 But this course, diplomatic quar- ters held, was neither necessary nor certain. It was suggested that Ger many might make an emphatic protest but withhold retaliatory ace ton.
 This suggestion was made in the belief that the government might decide 1t would be more beneficial to Germany in the long run to take no retaliatory action at this time, especially as regards consuls.
 There are American consulates in nine German cities outside Ber- lin, where there is an embassy and consulate general, and one in Vienna. The consculates are ct Koenigsberg, Hamburg, Bremen, Cologne, Stuttgart, Leipzig, Dres- den, Franfurt-on-Main and Mum ich.
 The governments position was complicated because 1t had to deal not only with the fund freezing and closure decrees but with the sink ing of the United States freighter Robin Moor.
 1nformants said that the Robin | Moor case, like that of the decrees, was still being studied.
 Gayda Does Talking
 Virginia Gayda wrote in Giornale | D'1talia today that American action | In freezing Axis funds was Q declar- ation of economic warfare against and Italy.
 Retaliatory measures taken by Italy, which has blocked American assets, are identical with those of the United States, Gayda said.
 "Roosevelt's economic and finan- ,ial measures against Italian and German interests in the United States are new and important steps y American war-nongers in their deliberate march towards war;" said 1ayda. "This is an open declara- tion of economic war against the Axis"
 Gayda said Italy was not dis- turbed by Washingtoa's action and would apply against Americans the same measures taken against Ital- ans by the United States.
 "Reprisals have been immediate Ind complete and have been more han legitimate" 0ayda said.
 He estimated Italian investments n the United States at $62 900 900, lot including Italian vessels seques- cred in American ports, which he 'alued at $l0,000, 900. Also, he said, taly has goods worth about 91,- 1000 in the United States.
 Gayda said that North American investments in Italy totaled about i 146, 100000