Evening star., 1944-04-21


before the House Committee on
Foreign Affairs and should have had
much wider publicity than was
given. For these reports have had
great circulation and are promoted
with such detail as to make them
easy to believe.
Among those exploded by Mr.
Crowley were: % That the British
had a habit of removing the labels
from lease-lend articles and substi-
tuting their own, retransferring the
goods to other countries and taking
the credit.
ca That the lease-lend was SELL
ing gasoline to the British in various
places for cents a gallon which
the British resold to our Army for
a. cents.
Cd That alcohol sent to Britain
on lease-lend had been converted
into whisky and sold back to us.
% That we had sent huge guam
titles of diaper cloth to North Africa
which the natives were using for
headdresses.
90 That the Russians had traded
some of our planes to the japanese
In return for rubber
CO. That the Russians were using
lease-lend butter to grease their
boots, etc.
Denial Badly Needed.
These and kindred stories were
denounced by Mr.. Crowley as with
out any trace Of truth and as having
enianated from enemy propaganda
sources. Unquestionably clear r-cut,
unequivocal denial Of these poison
ous reports was badly needed. It
should have been made long ago,
and Mr.. Crowley deserves credit for
taking the initiative.
The amount of harm such things
can do If permitted to 60 unchecked
Is hard to exaggerate. In effect,
they attribute degree of depravity
to our Allies which is almost un-
thinkable. They play directly into
German and Japanese hands at the
most critical period Of the war. And
they create resentment and distrust
when good will and complete faith
Is vital to the common cause.
II there is anything better cal
culated to weaken the war effort
and hamper the essential postwar
cooperation than the stirring up
Of bad blood between ourselves
and our Allies, 1t Is not easy to give
1t a name. So clear is this that 1t
would seem worth any exertion
upon the part of the Administra-
tion to render it impossible: that
the President himself might take
cognizance Of these things and use
his great influence to disabuse the
public mind.
Neither the British nor the Rus
slams can afford to take notice of
such reports. Yet both are aware
OF their harmful potentialities and
are deeply resentful over injustices
which they are powerless to correct
or even to direct to the attention
OF the people. 1t is a situation dis
turbing to- thoughtful men in
Washington. To them Mr.. Crow
ley's statement seemed particularly
timely and needed.
The question is whether it is 60
ing to be let alone or followed UP.
The hope, of course, is that it will
be followed up and that this espe-
cially damaging enemy propaganda
can be wholly nullifed. In this
connection, our military authorities
could very greatly help.
Anti-British Feeling.
It Is an unfortunate but quite
well-known fact that there is q con-
siderable anti-British feeling among
some of our higher army officers;
that these have somewhat indus
triously spread the notion that the
British want to get back their pos
sessions in the East without having
to fight for them; that their fight
ing planes are better designed for
defending England" than aiding in
the devastation of Germany; that
the British are holding back on the
channel invasion because they are
unwilling to pay the price, etc, etc.
1t Is little shocking to hear this
sort of talk from men of high rank
in the American Army. But it