MOVE APPROVED BY MR SAVAGE

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

MOVE APPROVED BY MR SAVAGE

ECONOMIC ASPECTS EMPHASIZED NEED FOR CONFERENCE OF WORLD LEADERS (Special to The Times) WELLINGTON, April 17. The sentiments expressed by the President of the United States (Mr Franklin D. Roosevelt) in his open letter to the European dictators were warmly commended today by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage), who described the appeal as an outstanding statement and one that should mean something to the nations of the world. “Everyone with the slightest desire for the peace of the world and the welfare of the human race cannot do less than approve every word Mr Roosevelt has uttered,” said the Prime Minister. Mr Savage said that Mr Roosevelt had suggested that misunderstandings should be discussed; he did not ask people to remain as they were, and it was not too much to ask, and to expect, that representatives of the various nations should meet to discuss the problems that faced them. “These things will have to be settled in any case if we can ever get peace,” said Mr Savage. “People do not fight for love of it. There are underlying causes, and if representatives of the nations can meet to talk about them there is a chance of removing those causes. It is proper trade relationships that are needed more than anything else, and people condemn what they call economic nationalism without putting anything in its place. “The trend today is towards each individual nation doing as much as it can for its own people. That is being forced on them simply because no one will a lead in the direction of meeting to discuss economic problems and getting down to realities. I think we will discover that tariffs are not a solution of any problem, and it is no use talking about freer trade under present conditions because there are other things to be considered, and you cannot consider them on the battlefield. We will have to consider them round the table. FREER TRADE WANTED “The nations are concerned about protecting their standard of life; for that reason they have tariffs and other forms of protection. I want to emphasize again that it would be better still if the nations got round the table and got more uniformity in their industrial conditions and freer trade than exists at present. I know there are other things to be considered, some of which may not be popular. “To make trade move more freely, to expand trade, you have to expand people’s pay envelopes. I know that in certain circles that will not be popular, but it is a plain fact. That is only one of the aspects of the same subject that could be and should be discussed round the table rather than that nations should take part in a race to increase armaments that must ultimately lead to chaos greater, probably, than that which resulted from the 1914-18 conflict.

“Finally, let me say: more power to Mr Roosevelt. It is a pity we did not have a few more men like him."

SOVIET’S SYMPATHY WITH EFFORT

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE TO ROOSEVELT MOSCOW, April 16. The President of the Executive Committee of the Soviet Union (M. Michael Kalinin) has sent the following message to .Mr Roosevelt: “I consider it a pleasant duty to express profound sympathy with and hearty congratulations on your noble appeal to the Italian and German governments. You can be sure that your initiative will find the warmest echoes in the hearts of the people of the Soviet, who are sincerely interested in the preservation of universal peace.” Although the Soviet newspapers do not comment, the prominence with which they display Mr Roosevelt’s message indicates the authorities’ unreserved approval of the message, which is greeted as a welcome effort to avoid war and to arraign the aggressors. DE VALERA URGES CONFERENCE “SETTLEMENT BEFORE WAR NOT AFTER” LONDON, April 16. It would appear that only the mercy of Providence could save Europe from a new war more terrible and more disastrous than that of 1914, said the Prime Minister of Eire (Mr Eamonn de Valera) in a speech at Clare. Was it too late, he asked, for the hundreds of millions wanting peace to demand a conference of the Powers before instead of after the war? Was it possible that Mr Roosevelt’s request could be refused? Mr de Valera said that a settlement after war would be short-lived, as the defeated nations would grimly bide their time to exact a harsh and iniquitous revenge. The Eire Government’s policy was neutrality, which could be attained only through strength. It was necessary. to prepare defences to the limit of the country’s resources. Mr de Valera appealed for national unity and for more volunteers.

“LIKE ASKING DRUNKARD TO GIVE UP ALCOHOL” MR HUGHES NOT HOPEFUL SYDNEY, April 17. “I am afraid Mr Roosevelt’s proposal to Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini is like asking a drunkard to give up alcohol for 10 years,” said the Minister for External Affairs (Mr W. M. Hughes). I think it is a splendid idea, but it is not a new one. Athens and Sparta made a pact to last 50 years—it lasted less than a year. In view of the experience of the last 20 years we can only ask: Are non-aggression or any other kind of pacts worth anything at all?” LABOUR OFFICE WARNED BY SWISS GENEVA, April 16. The International Labour Office is seeking emergency quarters in the middle of France as a result of advice from the Swiss Government that in the event of war it must evacuate Swiss territory in 24 hours, as it is feared that its continued presence would compromise Swiss neutrality.