INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS

Evening Star, Issue 23101, 29 October 1938, Page 17

INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS

NO LONGER DEPENDABLE DANGEROUS POTENTIALITIES OF WORLD SITUATION Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright WASHINGTON, October 27. The Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Mr R. A. Edison, in a Navy Day address, which was officially declared to represent President Roosevelt’s views, insisted that it was extremely doubtful if dependence could any longer bo placecf on international agreements for national security. The ideal of collective security unfortunately suffered one terrible blow after another and there was ample just cause to be alarmed at the dangerous potentialities of the situation. “ America needs a navy that can defeat any probable enemy or probable combination of enemies,” said .air Edison. He expressed pride in the existing American navy, with its amazingly gratifying gunnery results and the morale of the men, hut he said the country knew that the existing fleet was inadequate and had demanded an increased building programme.

Mr Edison said President Roi.sevelt anticipated the present world conditions by commencing the present building programme five years ago. “ Should the United States again i e engaged in war there is no assurance that our allies a ill operate and hold the enemy in check until we are able properly to mobilise industry in support of war effort,” he said. PRESIDENT'S POLICY SPEECH UNCERTAINTY REFLECTED. NEW YORK, October 28. The ‘New York Times,’ referring to President Roosevelt’s foreign policy speech, points out that there are two irreconcilable ideas in the views which the Preshlent has stated, “ They are his appeal to Herr Hiter to settle peacefully the Czech issue, and now his strictures, obviously aimed at Herr Hitler. These reflect the uncertainty in American foreign policy.”