Uncle Sam, the Non-Belligerent

This week, as isolationists and interventionists locked horns over the President's lend-lease bill (see p. 75), MARCH OF TIME released as its new issue a film, Uncle Sam--the Non-Belligerent, which may put some banderillas in the bulls.

At any time the film would be notable as a portrait of World War II. It opens with shots of London during an air raid, shots which bring to U. S. ears the eerie sound of an air-raid alarm (a cross between a fire-engine siren and a train whistling for a railroad crossing). It shows not only pictures of fires and damage in London but shots taken aboard German naval vessels at sea off Norway, of German artillery firing across the Channel, of U-boats at sea, pictures of England taken from German air raiders (with bombs visible as they leave the plane), of a ship in a British convoy photographed from a Stuka diving straight down on it, of freight yards in occupied France torn up by British bombs, of French prisoners slaving at construction projects for the Germans, of French children getting rations from the conquerors, of Hitler gaily touring Paris, visiting the Madeleine, looking at the Eiffel Tower, etc.

The like of most of these pictures has not been seen in the U. S., even in the few German newsreels which have been shown.

They are official German pictures. MARCH OF TIME got them from the Canadian Film Commissioner. The British contraband control had intercepted them on their way to German officials in South America, who were expected to show them wherever they would do the Nazis the most good.

Besides these unusual circumstances, the picture leaps into the middle of the heated U. S. argument between isolationists and interventionists. It shows shots of Senator Burton K. Wheeler, Representative Vito Marcantonio and ex-Editor Verne Marshall (see col. 1) denouncing the President's foreign policy, Franklin Roosevelt delivering his recent broadcast to the nation and his message to Congress, Dr. George Gallup commenting on the ballots which showed that 60% of the U. S. public favor increased aid to Britain even at the risk of war.

Taking its tone from the fact that the majority of the U. S. favors such aid and that the U. S. appears committed in principle, if not in detail, to the President's policy, which in effect sets up a London-Washington Axis, the picture says nothing that has not been said before. But the commentary, accompanied by pictures which lend it immense dramatic force, seems like much stronger meat than the U. S. has yet tasted. It may send shivers up the backs even of interventionists and make the hair of isolationists stand on end. Coming out the week it does, it may well be a sensation in the national debate now going on.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.