The Bay of Plenty Times MONDAY, APRIL 23, 1945. PRESIDENT TRUMAN’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 13738, 23 April 1945, Page 2

The Bay of Plenty Times MONDAY, APRIL 23, 1945. PRESIDENT TRUMAN’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

The address delivered by the new president of the United States a few days ago was excellent in many ways. It was modest and couched in plain, simple language and with a thread of moral and spiritual sentiment running through it, binding the whole into one excellent speech. President Truman has left neither Germany nor Japan in doubt as to where the American nation stands in the war. Japan believed, or pretended to believe, that the death of President Roosevelt would split the unity of the Allies, but they must now realise that there is no Tiope of that. The United States will continue the war as it was being carried out by President Roosevelt. All the chiefs of the fighting forces are to continue in office, and there is to be no alteration in the grand strategy of the United. Nations and unconditional surrender of the enemy remains. This assurance must be very satisfactory to the Allied Nations to the same extent as it is disappointing to Germany and Japan. There were a great many noble sentiments in the address, and not the least of these had references to the pending San Francisco conference. A world peace organisation is what we all want, an organisation which would outlaw war for all time. Is it impossible to bring into existence such an organisation? AVc think not. If the nations are in earnest, as avc believe they are, we should see such an organisation emerge from the San Francisco conference. Justice must be the guiding principle of the new organisation. There is really no valid reason why nations should go to Avar, for all differences are capable of settlement at round-table conferences or by arbitration. The present Avar did not arise from international disputes but from the greed and aggressive nature of tAvo nations led by scheming men. There Avill be continued in the postAvar period other Avars, but they will not be Avars of bloodshed, but Avhat may be termed peace-time Avars, mainly due to trade rivalry; such Avars are necessary for the economic progress of the Avorld for it is through friendly competition that progress is possible. _ But trade betAveen nations must be on a basis of freedom and friendliness, and if this could be brought about Avars of bloodshed Avould recede farther and farther into the background. President Truman has suggested to his people the desirability of cultivating friendly relations Avith other countries and also friendly trade. If the United States hopes to secure a leading place in the post-Avar Avorld, it must lead in economics. If America intends to continue,her Avorld trade operations on the basis of a high protection tariff, she wall not be honoured with a leading place in Avorld affairs unless she sees her Avay to.throAV open her markets to Avorld trade. Trade and not the sentiment Avill determine the place of nations, for trade is the. dominant factor in national life. It is doubtful Avhether the United States could abandon its high protection tariff, for such a tariff has been in existence for many years and vested interests have groAvn up under it, and these vested interests Avill not be easily dislodged., Americans are just uoav talking big, but it remains to be seen Avhether they are capable of being as big as their talk.