Definite Challenge To American Civilisation

Northern Advocate, 13 May 1940, Page 6

Definite Challenge To American Civilisation

-ROOSEVELT WASHINGTON, May 11. “All here are heavy-hearted at the tragic news that three more independent nations have been cruellyinvaded by force of arms,” said President Roosevelt, in an address to the Pan-Scientific Congress. “The whole world has seen attack follow threat on so many occasions and places in later years that we come to the reluctant conclusion that the continuance of these processes presents a definite challenge to a continuation of the type of civilisation to which we in the Americas are accustomed. Possibility Becomes Fact “The dim, unpleasant possibility that other continents might be so involved in wars brought on by the school of destruction that the Americas might have to become guardian of Western culture and the protector of Christian civilisation, has become a fact. “The inheritance which we hoped to share throughout the world has momentarily been left large in our keeping. “It is our compelling duty to guard and enrich that legacy and preserve it for a world which must he reborn from the ashes of the present disaster. “We know that until recent weeks too many citizens in the Americas believed themselves wholly safe from the impact of the attacks against civilisation which are progressing elsewhere. Closer to Scenes of Attack “Yet, speaking in terms of the moving of men, guns, aeroplanes and bombs, every American acre is closer to the modern conquei'ors’ scenes of attack in Europe than was the case with the historic efforts to dominate the world in bygone centuries. “From the viewpoint of conquests, it is a shorter distance from Europe to San Francisco than it was for th£* ships and legions of Caesar to move from Rome to Spain, or to Britain. “Today it is four or five hours -from Africa to South America, where it was four or five weeks for the ai’mies of Napoleon to move from Paris or Poland. Immediate Issue “The most immediate issue the Americas are facing is: “Can we continue our peaceful construction if all other continents embrace, from preference or by compulsion, a wholly different principle of life? “I am a pacifist.

“You are pacifist, but I believe that, by overwhelming majorities in the long run if necessary, we will act together to protect our culture, freedom and civilisation.” Ninety per cent, of the thousands of telegrams received favoured Mr Roosevelt’s speech, said the President’s private secretary (Mr Stephen Early). Big Defence Plans As a result of the invasion of Holland, there is news of defence plans which will envisage additional appropriations of 350,000,000 to 540,000,000 dollars for defence expenditure. The Governor of New York State (Mr H. H. Lehman), in reopening the New York World’s Fair, said that adequate preparedness was the only guarantee against aggression and violence under the direction of power-crazed rulers. “Might temporarily prevails over right ” he said. “We must strengthen ourselves, before it is too late, by military preparedness sufficient to discourage an attack. “We can no longer delude ourselves with ‘ the safety of isolation.’ “There is no isolation anywhere.”