WORLD PEACE

Evening Star, Issue 23497, 10 February 1940, Page 11

WORLD PEACE

RESTORATION ON SOUND BASIS NEW MOVE BY AMERICA CONVERSATIONS WITH NEUTRAL COUNTRIES (British Official Wireless.) WASHINGTON, February 9. (Received February 10, at 10.J0 a.m.) President Roosevelt announced that he is sending Mr Sumner Welles (Under-Secretary of State) - to Europe for a personal survey of conditions in Italy, Germany, Britain, and France. Mr Welles has been instructed to make no proposals or commitments in the name of the United States. The visit is solely to advise President Roosevelt and Mr Cordell Hull of present conditions in Europe. Mr Hull announced that informal diplomatic conversations had begun with several neutral countries with a view to eventual restoration of world peace on a sound and lasting basis. He added that the conversations would probably be broadened to include all neutrals. The State Department emphasises that Mr Welles's trip is not connected with Mr Hull's statement, the text of which is:— " In view of the effect of hostilities on neutrals, and neutrals' evident desire for eventual restoration of world peace on a sound and lasting basis for all nations, informal diplomatic conversations have begun with neutral governvernments, and will probably be continued with all neutrals. It should be emphasised that the conversations involve no plan or plans, but are in the nature of preliminary inquiries relating to a sound international economic system, simultaneous with a world-wide reduction of armaments. Matters involving the present war conditions are not part of these preliminary conversations, which may be extended to the belligerents in so far as they involve these two common problems of future peace." ENDORSED IN LONDON FULL CO-OPERATION ASSURED (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 9. (Received February 10, at noon.) Official circles in London have learned with satisfaction of the forthcoming visit to London ,of Mr Sumner Welles, and state that he can be certain of receiving a cordial welcome as the President's representative, and that he.may be sure of receiving all the information with which the British Government can provide him in order to enable President Roosevelt to form a clearer view of the European situation. SAILING NEXT WEEK WASHINGTON, February 9. (Received February 10, at 1 p.m.) Mr Cordell Hull announced that Mr Welles and Mr Taylor (who has been appointed to represent the United States at the Vatican) are sailing for Italy on February 17. WOOL CONTROL POSITION MADE CLEAR TO INDUSTRY LONDON, February 9. (Received February 10 at 12.1 p.m.) Addressing 2,000 representatives of the wool and textile industry at Bradford, Sir Harry Shackleton, the wool controller, explained many of the Controls actions and replied to criticisms. He dispelled a number of misconceptions and reiterated that it was the Control's intention to foster export trade as much as possible, even to the detriment of civilian home business. Incidentally he mentioned that experiments had been made in introducing merino woo! into service cloth, to allow more erossbreds to be released for other essential needs. He said that he was satisfied that prices intended to be charged in the next rationing period were justifiable on the cost price of war material plus expenses, and maintained that the prices were not execessive. FREE SPEECH RIGHTS OF BRITISH PEOPLE SHARP CONTRAST TO GERMANY (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 9. (Received February. 10, at noon.) The newspapers approve the terms of the reply which the Minister of Home Security gave to a House of Commons question as to whether the police would prevent Fascist interruptions at public meetings addressed by Cabinet Ministers. Sir John Anderson answered that under the British law Cabinet Ministers could be given no greater protection than anyone else. " It would be a sad day for Britain," says the ' Manchester Guardian,' " if our Cabinet became, as in Germany, an assembly of major and minor prophets all outwardly respected in their own country because of the police at their elbow and the concentration camp at their back. The Minister's reply indicated that the war has not caused Britain to sacrifice her customary freedoms, even those which cause some nuisance Jo.the majority."