ARMS NEEDED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22950, 31 January 1938, Page 11

ARMS NEEDED

AMERICAN NATION PRESIDENT'S PLAN STRONGER NAVY URGED iWAB ALARMS STRESSED PREPAREDNESS VITAL By Tclfsrraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received January 30, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK. Jau. 20 Despatches from Washington state that President Roosevelt in a special message warned Congress that America's national defence was inadequate for security. He called for an 800,000,000 dollar, long-term naval building programme, with an immediate start on two additional battleships and two cruisers. The President also asked for additions of over 20.000.000 dollars to the 1,000.000,000 dollar defence programme for 1939.

Up to the present, said Mr Roosevelt, the Government had failed to secure agreement among nations for limitation of armaments and to end aggression. Until such an agreement was reached they were compelled to think of national safety. Ho recommended a seven-point defence programme, and asked, in view of war alarms, that Congress enact legislation eliminating profiteering in any future war and to equalise war burdens so far as possible. Proposals Solely for Defence Adequate defence, the President continued, involved simultaneous defence in every part. The United States could rot assume that danger would be limited to one ocean and could not be certain that the connecting link in the Panama Canal would be safe. "We must keep a potential enemy many hundreds of miles away from our Continental limits," Mr. Roosevelt declared. The arms proposals were designed solely for defence and to implement the nation's efforts for world peace. Specifically and solely because of the piling up of additional land and sea armaments by other countries involving a threat to world peace and security he recommended the following defence programme:— Seven Points ol the Programme (1) The authorisation of a vote of 8,800,000 dollars for additions to Army anti-aircraft, with 6,800,000 dollars for 1939. (2) An increased appropriation for Enlarging the Army enlisted reserve. (3) The authorisation of a vote of 6,080,000 dollars for Army plant and material. (4) Increased reserves of Army munitions. (5) The authorisation of a flat 20 per cent increase in naval strength. (6) An immediate start on two battleships and two cruisers. ,(7) An appropriation of 15,000,000 dollars for experimental naval vessels. "It is- necessary for us to realise that world conditions to-day have resulted too often in discarding those principles and treaties which underlie international law and order," the message continued, "and in the entrance of many new factors into the actual conduct of war.

National Security at Stake "It is our clear duty to further every effort toward peace, but simultaneously to protect our nation, and it is my constitutional duty to report to Congress that our national defence, in the light of the increasing armaments of other nations, is inadequate for the purposes of national security and requires increase for that reason," said the President. "The proportion of the cost of our military and naval forces to the total income of our citizens or the total cost of government is far lower than that of any other great nation. "It is with the deepest regret that I report to you that armaments are increasing to-day at an unprecedented and alarming rate. It is an ominous fact that at least one-fourth of the world's population is involved in merciless, devastating conflict in spite of the fact that most people in those countries, including those where conflict rages, wish to live at peace."

Ceaseless Search for Peace Among points of special significance in the message was the statement that "It is a well-known fact that the American standard of living makes our ships, guns and aeroplanes cost more to build than those of any other nation." "In spite of the need of the United States for rearmament," said Mr. Roosevelt, "America will not cease to search for peace." He added that he was not without hope of achieving-it. It is significant that leaders of American opinion openly advocate that the American Fleet should be strong enough to secure unquestioned predominance in the Pacific, proceeding on the assumption that the British and French Fleets must remain concentrated in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean,

Relations With Japan The New York Times, in solidly backing up Mr. Roosevelt, says: "The present " policies of the Administration ire aimed at peace, not war, at the prevention of incidents which may lead war, at strengthening this country's hand so that its influence may count more heavily on the side of that decent respect for international obligations which alone can bring peace and order.

"The navJd message must be read in conjunction with the American Note to Japan protesting against new acts of depredation." The New York Herald Tribune says: There is an obvious reason why the President dicl not care to discuss international relationships in his message fii asking for specific ships and guns. unless our new rearmament is to develop into a simple 'the sky is the limit' race, there will have to be more precise official and popular reconsideration of our defence position in the new w orld which has emerged from' the old one, in parity and naval treaties *ere enough."