THE BROKEN WORLD

Evening Star, Issue 21381, 7 April 1933, Page 9

THE BROKEN WORLD

IKTERNATIOHAL PROBLEMS MR MACDONALD'S VISIT TO WAMKCTH Prass Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. NEW YORK, April 5. The Washington correspondent of the New York 4 Times ’ telegraphs that at last President Roosevelt and Mr Ramsay MacDonald are to meet and try to repair the broken world together. President Roosevelt’s statement to-day declared that 44 in the course of an informal exchange, ol views between the British and ourselves in regard to the general economic situation and the problem of disarmament,” he has felt} that a visit to Washington by the Prime Minister would be helpful. The President, since his election, has repeatedly remarked that Mr MacDonald is an old friend who would vastly prefer to deal personally with him. The meeting will take place, and upon what happens there depends not only the fate and location of the international conference, but also whether there will be a conference at all. The President wants AngloAmerican, and if, possible Anglo-French-Amorican, accord in advance on international economic questions. He wants the war debt question to wait on the larger issues, and above all he wants to have a talk with Mr MacDonald.

The Administration’s foreign policy, as thus far disclosed, contains the following points:—(l) A preliminary meeting in Washington of representatives of certain class A Powers to prepare for the World Economic Conference; (2) grant of power from the Congress to the Administration in advance to make effective international trade agreements and defer the June 15 war debt payments, if these agreements had not been concluded and Congress was adjourned before that instalment date; (3) suspension until next session of the Congress of any effort to have the United States join the World Court; (4) cessation of activity on the Far Eastern question until these matters have been adjusted; (5) blending war debts and disarmament with the other economic pi'oblems.

Whether the official Economic Conference, as well as the preliminary one, will bo held at Washington is for Mr MacDonald to decide. If he wants to keep it in London and preside over it that will be done, while if he should join the indicated French movement to transfer the main conference to Washington that may be agreed, upon. GENERAL RECOVERY IN WORLD AFFAIRS LONDON, April 5. At the Cunard Shipping Company’s meeting the chairman (Sir Percy Bates) said that President Roosevelt’s speeches afforded firmer ground for the belief that the worst of America’s depression had passed, and he looked forward with greater confidence than at any other time during the last two years to a general recovery in world affairs. OFFICIAL INVITATION WASHINGTON, April 6. (Received April 7, at 10 a.m.) The formal invitation for Mr MacDonald to visit President Roosevelt was handed to the British Ambassador today. STATEMENT BY MR MACDONALD (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 6. ‘(Received April 7, at noon.) Asked in the House of Commons if his visit to Washington would have the effect of postponing the World Economic Conference, Mr MacDonald replied: “Quite the opposite,l hope. I would like to hurry it up.”