APPEAL TO DICTATORS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 116, 17 April 1939, Page 7

APPEAL TO DICTATORS

PLEDGE TO KEEP PEACE PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT’S MESSAGES EFFORT TO AVERT WORLD RUIN (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) 11UGBY, April 15. In personal messages sent last night in identical terms. President Roosevelt asks Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini to pledge themselves not to attack by force of arms any territory, colony or protectorate of some 30 independent States in Europe and Asia which are enumerated.

These messages have created a deep impression in London. Simultaneously with their release for publication in Washington, a copy was supplied to the Foreign Office, and by that department was communicated at once to the Prime Minister (Mr Chamberlain) at Chequers and to Lord Halifax (Foreign Minister) in Yorkshire.

Significant passages in the messages include the following: “1 previously approached you on the subject of the settlement of political, economic and social problems by peaceful means and without recourse to arms, but the course of events appears to have brought back the threat of armed intervention.”

THREAT TO WORLD. “If this threat continues, if seems inevitable that a great part of the world will bo engulted in the general ruin,” said President Roosevelt. “The entire world—the victorious nations, the defeated nations and the neutral nations—will suffer. I refuse to believe that the world is necessarily fated to such a destiny. “On the contrary, it is clear that the leaders of the great nations have the power to free their peoples from imminent danger. It is equally clear that, in their spirits and in their hearts, the people themselves desire that their fears should end.

“It is, however, unfortunately necessary to take into account recent events. Three nations in Europe and one in Africa have seen the death of their independence. Vast territory in another independent nation in the Far East has been occupied by a neighbouring State.

“According to persistent, rumours., which we hope will prove ill-founded, other acts of aggression are reported to be contemplated against other independent nations. To speak clearly, a moment is approaching when this situation must end in a catastrophe unless a more rational method of managing events is found,” said the President. ASSURANCE FOR PEACE. Proceeding, President Roosevelt asks whether Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini are willing to give assurances that their armed forces will not attack the independent nations which he mentions. “Such an assurance clearly must apply, not only to the present day, but also to the future sufficiently long to give every opportunity to work by peaceful methods for more permanent peace. I, therefore suggest that you construe the word future to apply to a minimum period of assured non-aggres-sion—lo years at least; a quarter of a century if we dare look that tar ahead. “If such an assurance is given, I will immediately transmit it to the Governments of the nations named, and I will simultaneously inquire whether, as I am reasonably sure each of the nations enumerated will in turn give a like assurance for transmission to you, the President declared. “Nothing will persuade the peoples of the world that one Power has the right or the need to inflict the consequences of war on its own people and others unless it is defending its own tcrritorv.” He continued. “We Americans speak not in selfishness fear or weakness, but as statesmen’out of love for the human race. T have always been convinced that international problems can be sohed round a table. You will not misunderstand the frankness in which I send this message. GOVERN “Thc heads of Governments in this hour are literally. responsible for the fate of humanity in the coming j cats and cnnont fail to hear their peoples prayers to be protected from the unforeseeable chaos of wui. ~ “History will hold them accountable for the lives and happiness of a , men the least. 1 hope your answer 1 it possible for humanity to lose teal and regain security for many j conic,” the President said. The States named by P l 'i Tt Roosevelt are: Finland, Estonia Latvia. Lithuania, Sweden, Nonvaj. Dc mark, the Netherlands, Be L " ’ Britain and Ireland iM-anee. I «?i 1 cal Spain, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Luxeimiurg, Poland Hungary Rumania, Yugoslavia, Russia Greece, Turkey Iraq, Svria, Palestine, Egypt, anil ilan ' ) t 'President Roosevelt proposes that, if the assurances lie Bll SSfts aie gnem two essential problems shouldl be ds_ cussed in the resulting. P.‘ uro _ roundings: First, measiues . p| ie gressive relief of the world from the emshirur burden of anruimonts,. > secondly, measures for tlie ,[’'^fTrade of the avenues of Internationa trade t,, the end that every natibn shonld i enabled to buy and sell on e<| < ll Men In the world market as well as to nn fissumiiC'C of bcinf, < Mbtain the materials and products of peaceful economic life.