MAY GO TOO FAR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19624, 7 May 1938, Page 5

MAY GO TOO FAR

WARMING TO DICTATORS PRESSING DEMOCRACIES POWERS OP RESISTANCE WAR IN LAST RESORT (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. May 7, 9 a.m.) WASHINGTON, May 5. The United States Secretary for War, Mr. IT. H. Woodring, in an address to the United States Chamber of Commerce, warned Germany, Italy and Japan that if the dictatorship nations pushed the democratic nation too far there would be war.

Mr. Woodring attributed responsibility for the present world conditions primarily to Japan. *

Mr. Woodring said the potential strength of peace-loving nations was an essential stabilising influence in the world, but the mere existence of this potential strength was not enough.

“If policemen were under strict orders never, under any circumstances, to use force, how effective would they be in maintaining order?” he asked. “If a nation is to be similarly bound never to resort to any sort of force, economic or military, except in the event of an actual invasion of its territory, how long would its rights be respected in this anarchistic world?”

Mr. Woodring expressed the opinion that it was possible to check aggression without resort to arms.

“The foundation of a nation’s military strength is its economic strength,” he declared. “In economic strength, democracies are stronger than autocracies.”

Mr. Woodring issued a warning against any division of forces, either economic pr political, in the domestic life of the United States.

“Unity is essential at this critical moment,” he added. “We must rigidly exclude the twin blights, communism and fascism.”

DEFENCE OF AMERICA ADEQUATE U.S. FORCES CHECK TO AGGRESSION (Reed. May 7, 9 a.m.) WASHINGTON, May 5. Mr. Sumner Welles, in a radio address,' declared it was imperative that the United States should maintain adequate military and naval forces to defend the North and Latin Angelica n republics until aggressor nations cease violating treaty rights and obligations. “I believe our fellow citizens will insist that the Government be prepared to co-operate with the othei American republics, if necessary, to repel acts of aggression by which any non-American power or powers may attempt to dominate portion of the western hemisphere,” he said. Mr. Welles continued that he saw no hope of a let-up in the armament race until the nations of the re-established the fundamental P rm " ciples and morals of international conduct, and agreed to abide by them.