AMERICAS MUST MEET FORCE WITH FORCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 90, 16 April 1940, Page 7

AMERICAS MUST MEET FORCE WITH FORCE.

ROOSEVELT VIEW. " Touch One Touch All" In West Hemisphere. BROADCAST TO THE WORLD. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 10.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, April 15. In a world-wide broadcast, President Roosevelt, speaking at a meeting of the governing board of the Pan-American Union, on the occasion of the observance of the 50th anniversary, said that wars abroad were more horrible and more destructive than ever.

"The Americas can keep open the way to eventual peace only if they are prepared to meet force with fort® if the challenge is ever made," he said.

"We in this hemisphere do not need to eeek a new international order. We have already found it. This was not won by hysterical outcries or violent movements of troops. We did not stamp out nations, and capture Governments or uproot innocent people from the homes the- had built.

"We did not invent absurd doctrines of race supremacy or claim dictatorship through universal revolution. Winning Co-operative Peace. "Co-operative peace in the Western Hemisphere cannot be created iby wishing and it will require more than words to maintain it. Whoever touches any one of us touches all. We have only aeked that the world go with us on the path of peace, 'but we shall be able to keep that way open only if we are prepared to meet force with force if the challenge is ever made.

"To-day we can have no illusions. Old dreams of a universal empire are again rampant. We hear of races which claim the right of mastery and groups which insist that they have a right to impose their way of life on other nations. Old World and New Affected. "We encounter economic compulsions shrewdly devised to force great areas into political spheres of influence. All this is not of mere academic interest.

"We know what happens in the Old World directly and powerfully affects the peace and wellbeing of the New World. For this very reason we adopted at Buenos Ayres procedures to enable us to meet any eventuality. We agreed to consult should peace be threatened.

"At Lima we agreed to stand together to defend and maintain the integrity of every American nation.

"At Panama we worked out ways and means of keeping war away from the Americas. I pray to God we will not have to do more, but should it be necessary I am convinced that we should be wholly successful.

"The inner strength of a group of free people is irresistible when they are prepared- to act.

"In my conception, the whole world is now struggling to find the basis of its life in the coming centuries. I affirm that life must be based on positive values. The value of love will always be stronger than the value of hate, since any nation or frroun of nations which employs hatred eventually will be torn to pieces within itself.

"The value of belief in humanity and justice is always stronger than the value of belief in force, because force finally turns inward and each man, or group of men, is compelled to measure his strength against his own brother.

"The value of truth and sincerity is always stronger than the value of lies and cynicism. No process has yet been invented which can permanently separate men from fears and consciences.

"You cannot make men believe that the way of life is good when it spreads poverty, misery, disease and death. Men cannot everlastingly be loyal unless they are free."