AMERICA’S POLICY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 15, 28 October 1938, Page 5

AMERICA’S POLICY

“THE WORLD OUR NEIGHBOUR.” NECESSITY FOR PREPAREDNESS. SPEECH BY MR ROOSEVELT. * (United Press Association—Copyright.) WASHINGTON, October 26. “None who lived through the grave hours last month can doubt the longing of most of the peoples of the world for enduring peace,” said Mr Roosevelt. “Our business now is to utilise the desire for peace to build on the principles which are the only basis of permanent peace. “There can be no peace if the reign of law is to be replaced by a recurrent sanctification of sheer force.

“There can be no peace if national policy adopts as a deliberate instrument the threat of war, or the dispersion over the world of millions of helpless, persecuted wanderers without a place to lay their heads. “There can be no peace if humble men and women are not free to think their own thoughts, express their own feelings, and worship God; or if economic resources that ought to be devoted to social and economic reconstruction are diverted toward intensified competition in armaments. “At no time in modern history has the responsibility which rests upon government been more obvious or more profound. I speak for the United States, which has no interest in Avar. We covet nothing save good relations with »our neighbours and we recognise that the world to-day has become our neighbour.

“But in the principle of this policy there must be a deliberate conscious will -that such political changes as changing needs require shall be made peacefully. You cannot organise civilisation around a core of militarism and at the same time expect reason to control human destinies.

“The United States for more than 12 years has been steadily seeking disarmament ; yet avo have consistently pointed out that neither Ave nor any nation will accept disarmament while neighbour nations arm to the teeth. If there is no general disarmament Ave ourselves must continue to arm, for we must be prepared. We still insist that the armament race among the nations is absurd unless neAV territories or new controls are coveted. “We in the United States do not seek to impose on any other people either our way of life or our internal form of Government. But Ave are determined to maintain and protect that way of life and that form of government for ourseßes. We affirm our faith that, choice of a Avay of life a people makes, that choice must not threaten the Avorld Avith the disaster of Avar, Avhich releases a flood tide of evil emotions. In all that I haA r e said to you I reaffirmed the faith of the American people in democracy.”

Mr Roosevelt concluded Avith an appeal for greater unity among nations for peace and restraint, for negotiation and community effort. By Avorking for the same ideals Avithin their oAvn borders the people of the United States Avould have that unity of Avill Avith Avhicli alone democracy could successfullv meet its enemies.

NO PUBLICITY IN GERMANY. 3 (Received: This. Day, 10.55 a.m.) LONDON, October 27. The British United Press correspondent at Berlin says that the Press has been instructed not to publish Mr Roosevelt’s speech. AIMED AT ITALY AND GERMANY. ACTION IN WESTERN HEMISPHERE ALONE. (Received This Day, 1.35 p.m.) NEW YORK, October 27. The Washington correspondent of the United Press says that Mr Roosevelt’s sharp phrases were aimed obviously at Italy and Germany, and are practically certain to draw harsh criticism from the press in the totalitarian States, if not from official quarters. The President’s observations drew criticism almost immediately from an important domestic source, notably from Mr Herbert Hoover, who insisted that the methods and manners of the dictatorships were no concern of America. He gave a warning that if the United States went to war it would bo necessary to mobilise the nation “into a practically Fascist Government.” He insisted that the democracies must reconcile themselves to the fact that despotisms had always existed and would continue to exist.

Mr Hoover made light of the danger of totalitarian aggression against the Wiestern Hemisphere, and demanded that before military expenditures were expanded, “we should be told frankly what dangers have so increased as to warrant it.”

Mr Roosevelt’s speech is widely interpreted as America’s definite foreign policy. It contained striking similarities i.u phraseology to Lord Halifax’s address, and is considered as a refinement and qualification of his notable “quarantine” pronouncement two years ago. The President at one stage not only condemned the use of threats of force, repression and propaganda as instruments of national policy, but showed plain resentment of the derisive observations frequently made by the dictatorships about the democracies.

Mr Roosevelt emphasised the intention of the United States to stop, by force if necessary, the introduction of these methods and manners, either by propaganda or otherwise, into the Western Hemisphere. It is felt that the President restated the principle of “quarantining the dictatorships”—this time, however, em-

phasising the intention of the United States to act alone and exclusively in the Western Hemisphere.

Reports from London that, whether or not the similarities between Lord Halifax’s and Air Roosevelt’s speeches were intentional, the President’s stand was certain to receive the unqualified support of British circles, were received with satisfaction in Washington. ITALY FAVOURS CONFERENCE. OBJECTION TO TAKING BLAME. (Received This Dav, 11.-15 a.m.) ROME, October 27. An abbreviated account of Air Roosevelt’s speech is published. Those wellinformed state that the Government is sympathetic regarding the suggestion for a disarmament conference, but objects to blaming the totalitarian Powers for the rearmament fever.