Evening star., 1941-05-08
Safety From 2-0cean
Peril Depends on Aid
10 Britain, Says Knox
Cites Fearful Danger;
Churchill Message
ReIoyed to Booksellers


night gravely warned the American
people of a fearful danger" from
enemies in both oceans and declared
the combined resources, output and
man power of this Nation "are COM
mitted to one supreme purpose-to
see that the British sea power IN
the Atlantic be not destroyed"
He made the assertion at the
closing convention banquet of the
American Booksellers Association
before some 600 loudly applauding
delegates at the Willard Hotel.
1--WE are living in fearful dam
ger and the only safety to us is to
help Great Britain to resist the
forces of darkness so that they will
not achieve victory that would
ring down the curtain of civiliza-
ton" Secretary Knox concluded.
A second stirring moment for the
delegates and another reference to
endangered civilization was when
Lord Halifax, British Ambassador,
read a spirited message from Prime
Minister Winston Churchill. In it
Mr.. Churchill declared that Ger
many's f1eeting dictator" now COM
plains against free American writ
ers" because their fault is that they
stand for 'free way of life
that Is death to meteoric tyrants.'
Sidesteps Conveying"
Unlike Secretary of War Stimson,
who the previous night had sug-
gested that the American Navy be
employed to protect shipments of
material to England, Mr.. Knox made
no direct allusion to conveying.
But he made it unmistakably plain
that loss of British sea power in the
Atlantic and Pacific would confront
the United States with an enemy
sea power superior to our own"
It was "black picture which
the American people would have to
contemplate, he warned. for against
this superior sea power I'VE would
have to protect the whole Western
world with our two-ocean Navy not
yet built but on its way.
I'VE would be confronted with
Germany, Italy and France on one
side and Japan on the other Mr..
Knox said.
IF Britain fails We would have
to meet this sea power alone
At the outset of his brief address
Mr.. Knox said that Britain was
fortunate" to have a worthy sue
cessor to the late Lord Lothian lin
times of most grave and menacing
perils to both the people of the en-
pire and the United States" 1t
was not easy for one to take up the
task in Washington that Lord Lo-
THAN had laid down, he reminded.
but Lord Halifax has done it just
as we'll and usefully.
Message From Roosevelt.
Karl Placht, president of the A.
B. A., who presided, read greetings
from President Roosevelt, whose
message added:
In the maintenance of the mo-
rale of the Nation your organiza-
ton can make most important
contribution Whether the times be
normal or the energies all be di-
rected to the Strengthening of ma
tional defense, books are always
faithful friends and ever-cheerful
companions.
81 trust that your deliberations
will be enjoyable as well as fruitful
of renewed interest in good books
everywhere"
If the audience had expected Lord
Halifax to touch on the common
defense problems of the two nations
1t was disappointed, for the Am
bassador took his cue from Presi-
dent Roosevelt's message and talked
both entertainingly and inspiration
ally about books. He also conveyed
his gratitude to the association for
the services rendered to publishers
in Britain.
Referring to the new collection Of
Mr.. Churchill's speeches, he said,
"They speak with an eloquence and
force that is the true voice of Eng
land, for whom he, more than any
other man. is entitled to speak"
Lord Halifax appealed for "a
catholic taste to open our hearts to
new things" He reflected sadly
that during the existing emergency
many people have had to forego
pleasures and joys" of reading.
For one thing" he reminded, I'VE
all ought to feel that the value of
reading has the effect of forcing us
to put our minds in contact with
minds better than our own, If we
choose wisely"
Churchill Messaxe.
At the conclusion of his remarks,
he read a message received from
Mr.. Churchill. 1t was as follows:
Your calling has been we'll de-
scribed as mighty power of spirit
in words.
This power has been taken away
from many nations by the Nazi
tyrants. Not easily will it be taken
from the English-speaking peoples
who, from writings living and dead,
gather courage and constancy to
strengthen us in the trials we must
undergo.
When the minds Of nations en-