NO REPLY YET TO ROOSEVELT

Southland Times, Issue 23795, 18 April 1939, Page 7

NO REPLY YET TO ROOSEVELT

Rejection Of Plan Expected VIOLENT OPPOSITION IN ITALY BRITISH PRESS EXTOLS PRESIDENT’S MOVE (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received April 17, 11.50 p.m.) LONDON, April 17. No official reply has been made by the dictators to the appeal for peace by the President of the United States (Mr Franklin D. Roosevelt), and it is generally assumed that the response will be rejection of the proposals for assurances to 30 States and a conference on disarmament. Signor Mussolini’s own newspaper, Popolo d’ltalia, violently condemns Mr Roosevelt’s message and calls on all Italians to reject it, says the Rome correspondent of the British United Press. Popolo d’ltalia says: • “It does not clarify the international situation.”

The British Press Without dissent, extols Mr Roosevelt. The Daily Herald says: “If the dictators reject Mr Roosevelt’s offer and force war on the world their long list of enemies certainly will include the United States.” The United States Ambassador to London (Mr Joseph P. Kennedy), who was a guest at Windsor Castle at the week-end, discussed Mr Roosevelt’s Note with the King. The Leader of the Labour Opposition (Major C. R. Attlee) characterized Mr Roosevelt’s Note as a most valuable initiative and added that the Labour Party would fully support the suggested conference.

Mr David Lloyd George says that Mr Roosevelt’s Note is a magnificent and momentous appeal to reason. Official circles in Berlin say that Herr Hitler’s reply to Mr Roosevelt’s Note may not be despatched until after his birthday on Thursday, says the Berlin correspondent of The Times. A spokesman said that the Foreign Office had not completed examination of it, and some of the suggestions required close scrutiny. ■ A later message says that Herr Hitler has summoned the Reichstag for April 28 to hear his reply to Mr Roosevelt. THREATENED STATES SUPPORT MOVE CLOSE AMERICAN WATCH r ON JAPAN (Received April 17, 11.50 p.m.) WASHINGTON, April 16. The South American republics and Canada tonight endorsed Mr Roosevelt’s appeal and it was. also learned authoritatively that the independent European countries which are more or less threatened with aggression have informed the President of their support. The messages from the European States were not made public so as not to embarrass them.The widespread impression that the plea has put the dictators “on' the spot” is reflected in a declaration by the President of Panama that “only minds set against the interests of world peace can formulate objections to the proposals.” The New York Times, anticipating rejection of the appeal by Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini, comments: “Mr Roosevelt’s initiative cannot properly be regarded as having failed if it has merely failed to achieve something that cannot be achieved. The dictators’ record is too full of broken promises for a pledge to keep the peace by either to alter the fundamentals of the present position. There is a more realistic standard by which to judge the results of the President’s initiative. He has sought to identify unmistakably the aggressors in advance of war and to rally world opinion on the side of the victims of aggression. He has accomplished both purposes. Moreover, he may have made an outbreak of war less likely by his warning to the dictators that the risks involved are greater than they may assume they are—greater because the victims of German and Italian aggression can count on at least immense moral support everywhere throughout the world.” The New York Herald-Tribune says: “It is no accident that the President’s message was so worded that if it is not accepted at its face value by the dictators it will stand as an indictment of their policy, as a powerful act of diplomatic policy—backed up by the recall of the fleet—for the British and French coalition, as a warning to the axis and so as a practical contribution to the prolongation of peace by the only method—power politics—which the axis Powers have admitted to have validity. It may not succeed. It involves certain though very little risk of deeper American entanglement, but the maintenance of peace today is a matter of such importance to the United States, as to the rest of the world, that some risks seem plainly justified.”

The President was at his desk at the White House throughout Sunday, and Mr Hull was consulting departmental officials all day. He is reported to have discussed the possibility of a Japanese move coinciding with European developments. High naval officers conferred with the Navy Department. It is semi-officially confirmed that the naval movement was a precautionary measure in the light of the Far Eastern situation. JAPANESE VIEW OF APPEAL “NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF AMERICAN OPINION” (Received April 17, 11.40 p.m.) TOKYO, April 17. The Vernacular Press asserts that Mr Roosevelt’s speech embodies his personal views and is not representative of American opinion, and for that reason can be ignored.