GUARDING RIGHTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20187, 4 March 1940, Page 6

GUARDING RIGHTS

AMERICAN CITIZENS ROOSEVELT MESSAGE (Reed. March 4, 9 a.m.) WASHINGTON, March 3. President Roosevelt, who returned to Washington -yesterday, in a message to a conference of the committee for the protection of foreign-born residents in the United States said: “Americans are proud of the tradition of hospitality to all races and creeds. We must guard the civil rights and liberties of all citizens, whatever their background.” The message is regarded as significant in view of the fact that Over 70 anti-alien bills are pending in Congress. Mr. Roosevelt warned congress that it would be fully responsible for delaying the military improvement of the Panama Canal. He added that all the 21 Americas agreed to the joint defence of the canal in the event of the United States being involved in war. Mr. Roosevelt’s first act on his return was to sign the Export and Import Bill. Mr. Taft in a speech yesterday said that Mr. Roosevelt had not wholeheartedly accepted the manifest desire of the Americas to stay out of war except in case of self defence. He added that the message to Congress implied that the United States had a right to intervene because of the character of certain belligerents. The President was leaning to the belief that the United States should enter the war to 'defend democracy against dictatorships.