AMERICAN UNITY

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 November 1938, Page 7

AMERICAN UNITY

TO OPPOSE FASCISM

IMPORTANT CONFERENCE

[BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.'

WASHINGTON, November 13.

While new condemnations of German treatment of the Jews have fed the growing anti-German sentiment throughout the United States, the Government moved swiftly over the week-end to clear the way for a powerful front of the American republics • against Europe’s Fascist forces, when the eighth international conference of American States is to be convened at Lima, Peru, on December 9.

The State Department has settled its land dispute with Mexico, assured Argentina that its wheat markets would not be invaded, entertained and lionised Cuba’s Colonel Batista, and appointed a national unity delegation to go to Lima, headed by the Secretary of State (Mr Cordell Hull) and including Mr Alfred M. Landon. General Malin Craig, the Army Chief of Staff, issued a warning that the United States Army was lagging dangerously behind those of other Powers. He recommended increases in the personnel and equipment. After this Mr A. A. Berle, Assistant-Secre-tary of State, in a broadcast to Latin America, said: “One expected accomplishment of the Lima conference will be to make our common defence more secure. There should be no fear that the United States rearmament programme constitutes anything save a recourse for general defence.” The State Department has emphasised repeatedly that Pan-American unity at Lima is vital if the Western Hemisphere is to stave off Nazi and Fascist encroachment from abroad. This’is bejlieved to have played a strong part in the settlement of the Mexican and Argentinian disputes. Moreover, the United States’s reception for Colonel Batista is believed to have drawn Cuba further into Mr CordQll Hull’s good-neighbour orbit.

Colonel Batista, who has recently become an earnest advocate of democratic procedure and constitutional government, conferred with Mr Roosevelt and Mr Hull, and army and navy officials. It is believed they discussed the strengthening of naval and aerial communications in the Caribbean, possibly by the development of an American base on Cuban soil.

The sincerity of Mi’ Roosevelt’s appeal, before the recent ejections, for a common national defence in the face of a troubled world, is reflected in the selection of the Lima delegation which, bqsides listing Mr Landon just xindei' Mi’ Cordell Hull, includes (-representatives of both the American Federation of Labour and the Committee for Industrial Organisation.