AMERICAN POLICY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17125, 4 December 1929, Page 7

AMERICAN POLICY

PRESIDENT’S REVIEW HOPES FOR SETTLEMENT (Klee. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) WASHINGTON’, Dor. 3. President Hoover in his annual address to Congress, said that the foundations for future peace were being substantially strengthened through the Kellogg-Briand pact. Referring to the Court of International Justice, he said : “1 believe it will be clear to everyone that- no controversy or question in which this country has. or claims an interest, can lie. passed by the World Court without our consent at the time the question arises. Our adherence to the International Court is, as now constituted, not the slightest step towards our entry into the League of Nations. 1 shall direct that our signature be affixed to the protocol of adherence. We have joined the conference on further limitation and reduction of naval-arms. We hold high hopes that success may attend this effort. I recommend Congress to give earnest consideration to the possibilities of prudent action, which will give’ relief from our continuously mounting military expenditures. We have undertaken never to use war as an instrument of national policy. We, therefore, have undertaken to use these equipments solely for defensive purposes, From the defence point of view, our forces sho.uld be, proportional to our national needs, and should therefore, to some extent, be modified by the prospects of peace, which were never brighter than to-day.'’ Commenting on the national budget, the President said the total appropriations recommended for the fiscal year, 1931, are 3.830,145,231 dollars, compared with 3,976,141,651 dollars in the- present fiscal year.

Mr. Hoover commented on the large degree of prosperity the country was enjoying. He drew attention to the wave of uncontrolled speculation resulting in the, diversion of capital front 'business to the stock market, with the inevitable crash. He pointed out ■ that capital hitherto absorbed by speculation was now returning to the normal channels and “through the measures we have already undertaken we have re-established confidence. Wages should remain stable.”

'Lite President advocated important administrative changes to assure better enforcement of the Eighteenth Amendment. and indicated that an attempt would also be made more effectively to control organised crime.

NAVAL PROGRAMME

ALTERNATIVE TO AGREEMENT (Received Dec. 4, 11 a.nn.) WASHINGTON, Doe. 3. President Hoover, in his annual message to Congress, referring to naval expenditure, said: “If we are compelled to undertake construction, as implied in the Washington Arms Treaty, as well as other construction which would appear to be necessary if an international agreement is not completed, we shall be committed during the next, six years to a construction expenditure approximating £240,300,000, besides a necessary further in-

crease in thi' costs of the annual up keep. ’ ’

The President contended that, the country could well be deeply concerned at the growing expense of national defence. ‘ While its forces were .com-, paratively small, expenditures were in excess of the most highly militarised nations of the world.

Discussing tariff, he asked for an effective tariff on agricultural products and some limited changes in industrial schedules. He reiterated that he desired the broad principle of the. flexible provision of the pending bill to be retained. President. Hoover’s views in this connection were recently disregarded by the Senate. Touching on prohibition, President. Hoover stated that the enforcement of the laws enacted to give effect to the Eighteenth Amendment was far from satisfactory.