Evening star., 1941-03-27
Glass Demands Ndvy
Convoy Aid 10 Britain
# Raiders Threaten
IT They Interfere, We
Ought to Shoot He'll
Out of Them,' He Says
BY the Associated Press.


If Nazi surface or submarine raiders
attempt to sink lease-lend shipments
Of military supplies bound fol
Britain.
The peppery Virginian minced nc
words. IF they interfere with us,
he told reporters, I'VE ought to shoot
the hell out of them. I am for
conveys if Germany sinks our
goods"
The stand taken by the 83-year-
old Senator, however, found no ready
backing among his colleagues on the
Foreign Relations Committee. Most
Of them ruled out conveys. barring
an imminent or actual state of war.
A few felt that the question was out
of order until every other method of
insuring safe delivery had been tried.
Col William j. Donovan, intro
duced to national radio audience
last night by Secretary Of the Navy
Knox, raised the point by asking this
question:
Are we going to deliver the
goods?"
ut is going to mean nothing in
winning the war" he added, unless
the goods we produce and ship reach
their destination
Meanwhile, State Department Off
cials pursued their study of the
German decree Tuesday extending
the Reich's counterblockade zone
within three miles of Greenland
the Danish colony which is consid-
cred a geographical part of the
Western Hemisphere.
Two Courses of Action.
In the continued absence of Off
clal comment, conjecture centered
on two possible courses of action.
One was that the Neutrality Acts
combat zone might be REDEEMED to
encompass the new German block
ade area, which now includes Danish
Iceland, heretofore outside of the
zone The other was that no such
recognition would be given to the
Berlin decree, but that Nazi war
craft would be told to keep out of
hemisphere waters.
Although the new German decree
pushed the blockade farther west
along Britain S North American life
line, unofficial sources here were
inclined to regard it as a formality
that was not likely to exert an in
f1uence one way or the other on the
question of American conveys.
These authorities, agreeing with
British opinion, said that Germany
would attack British supply ships
wherever encountered without wait
ing until vessel entered some spe-
cially prescribed sea area. They de-
clared that no American ships have
been carrying cargoes to Iceland
and only Coast Guard cutters have
been transporting necessary sup
plies to Greenland.
Greenland May Be Way Station.
Without reference to the new
blockade zone, other informed per-
sons said that Greenland and Ice
land might soon assume increasing
Importance in the war picture.
They reported that surveys have
been made of Greenland's high ice
plateau with an eye to its use as a
Uay-station on an aerial delivery
route for Britain-bound American
fighting planes.
Fighters and interceptor planes,
having limited fuel capacity, would
need a series of landing fields
stretching from Newfoundland to
Greenland, to Iceland and possibly
Ireland. Such delivery route, if
once established, would be safe
against German attack, it was be-
lieved, unless carrier-b borne planes
were employed.
Discussing the Glass convoy pro-
posal, Chairman George of the For
eign Relations Committee, declared
he opposed such a step without first
declaring war
The use OF conveys, he asserted
would be an act of war. However,
he said that the administration
properly might lend Britain ships
for such use.
Others Oppose Conveys.
Other committee members, SEN
ators Shipstead, Republican, of Min
nesota; Van Nuys, Democrat, of In
diana, and Taft, Republican, of Ohio
registered opposition to conveys be-
cause of the war danger involved.
Senator Shipstead said conveys
meant "sneaking into war"
Senator Pepper, Democrat, of
Florida, stanch supporter of ad-
mtnlstration foreign policy, held that
the convoy question lis now tactic,
because our major strategy-that we
will not let Britain fall-has already
been decided
Senator Pepper said he would not
favor conveys at present, because
other means of insuring the safety
Of American shipments to Britain
should be tried first.
One member of the foreign re-
lations group said it was his infor-
nation that President Roosevelt
would consult congressional leaders
regarding any proposal to use the
Navy for conveying.
Finland May Be Affected.
One question raised by the new
blockade move was its possible eff
feet on shipment of food and other
supplies from the United States to
Finland.
Finnish boats which have been
carrying substantial quantities of
Red Gross and other supplies to the
port of Petsamo normally pass near
Iceland through the area now de-
clared within the blockade zone
The Export-Import Bank only
last week granted a $7O00,000 loan
to Finland, essentially for foodstuffs.
One source, in explaining the
problem, said British navicerts per-
mitted supplies to pass through the
British blockade to Finland, but
did not protect Finnish ships from
German submarines.