AMERICAN ALARM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23050, 30 May 1938, Page 9

AMERICAN ALARM

STATEMENT ISSUED reminder to nations OBLIGATIONS UNDER PACT RENUNCIATION OF WAR By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received May 20, 0.50 p.m.) WASHINGTON, May 20 Alarmed at the international situation, the Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull, has issued a statement reminding the Governments of Europe of their obligations to keep the peace under the lvellogg-Briand anti-war pact. "With reference to the critical situation regarding the countries of Central Europe, I desire to say the Government of tlio United States has been following the recent developments with close and anxious attention," said Mr. Hull. "Nearly 10 years ago the United States signed in Paris a treaty providing for the renunciation of war as

an instrument of national policy. There are now 63 countries which are party to that treaty, in which they agreed that tho settlement and solution of all disputes should never be sought by other than pacific means. That pledge is not less binding now than when it was entered into. It is binding npon all parties. "Wo cannot shut our eyes to the fact that any outbreak of hostilities anywhere in the world injects into world affairs a factor of general disturbance, the ultimate consequence of which no man can foresee, and is liable to inflict upon all nations incalculable permanent injuries. "The people of this country have, in common with all nations, a desire for stable and permanent conditions of peace, justice and progress, and their most earnest desire is that peace should be maintained no matter where or in what circumstances there may be controversies between nations."

Tho statement is regarded as putting America's moral weight behind tho efforts of tho European democracies to prevent war, in view of the critical week-end in Czechoslovakia.

GERMANY'S PLANS OBJECTIVE UNCHANGED POLICY OF BRITAIN INTEREST OF THE DOMINIONS (Received May 29, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 28 The question uppermost in the minds of the Dominion representatives in London during the recent conversations with Mr. Chamberlain and Viscount Halifax has been that of peace or war, says the diplomatic correspondent of tho Australian Associated Press, The Australian delegation, led by Sir Earle Page, is specially concerned to ascertain tho bearing of the European situatiofi on tho prospects of the Commonwealth's negotiating foreign trade treaties to provide increased outlets for its expanding production of foodstuffs.

It is gathered the South Africans reiterated their attitude at the Imperial Conference, pressing Britain to attempt without delay a settlement of all her outstanding grievances with Germany without waiting for two years when armaments acquisitions will ho at their maximum, and the Powers will he unwilling to settle their differences except by war. It is also gathered that Viscount Halifax outlined Britain's representations to Prague, to Paris and to Berlin, especially her attitude to Central Europe, which constituted not a syllable moro or lees than Mr. Chamberlain's pronouncement in the House of Commons on March 21. But the real significance was the fact that this was reaffirmed and underlined at a critical week-end. Nobody knows for certain what Germany's real intentions concerning Czechoslovakia were on that occasion, when undoubtedly a conflict occurred in ITerr Hitler's hierarchy, but it is thought even if Germany has changed her tactics, sho has not changed her objective. It is widely believed that if immediate annexation fails Germany will adopt the slower but sure process of economic and .financial absorption. The fact that Britain's policy as between intervention and isolation remains indeterminate is extremely irritating to Germany, which evidently continues to regard Britain as the real obstacle to her attainment of European domination.