AMERICAN REPUBLICS

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 January 1928, Page 5

AMERICAN REPUBLICS

A NOTABLE CONFERENCE MR. COOLIDGE’S ADDRESS (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (By Cable—Press Assn.—Copyright.) HAVANA, January 16. For the first time in his life, President Coolidge set foot on foreign soil, when he arrived in the battleship Texas. ,A great crowd greeted the President enthusiastically. He and M. Machido attended the Pan-American Conference to-day, and afterwards Mr Coolidge attends several functions organised in his honour. He leaves oh return to the United States on Tuesday morning. Addressing the Pan-American Conference, he paid a tribute to the inherent desire for peace, manifested by the American public, and the absence of .large military establishments in the New World. He declared that they all adopted the spirit of accommodation, goodwill, confidence, mutual helpfulness and consultation. Mr Coolidge said: “With each succeeding Conference, agreements- for orderly settlement of such differences as may arise between the American have been extended and strengthened, thus making their relationship more certain and more secure.” IDEALS PROCLAIMED. (A.P.A. & Sun.) HAVANA, January 16. Journeying outside his homeland for the first time since he became President, Mr Coolidge, In a speech keyed to the note of international confidence, helpfulness and goodwill, opened the Sixth Pan-American Congress, to-day, by urging nations in the Western Hemisphere to join in the task of assuring all its people the freedom Columbus bequeathed them in equal measure. '

Without mentioning the League of Nations “or Monroe Doctrine, he assured the Congress that the Pan-Ame-rican Union did not involve antagonism to any section of the ■world, or to any other organisation, blit he declared that the American nations were committed to the principle that they are better.fitted to govern themselves than anyone else is. The United States was prepared to encourage all peaceful pursuits tending to bring various units of the American family of States closer and in more permanent harmony. There was no intention in that hemisphere by any nation of buildirffe up a great military establishment to overawe or subjugate its neighbours. He enunciated the doctrine: “All nations in the Hemisphere are determined to adjust their differences not by resort to force, but by application of principles of justice and equity.” CUBA’S INDEPENDENCE. HAVANA. January 16. Mr Coolidge and President Machado joined in advocating a policy of mutual goodwill and respect for American nations, in their speeches at the opening of the conference. They disclosed in somewhat veiled terms the respective views of the Latin-American nations and the United States regarding the destiny of the Western Hemisphere. . President Machado took occasion to stress Cuba’s complete independence.