EUROPEAN PEACE MOVE EXPECTED

Southland Times, Issue 23945, 11 October 1939, Page 7

EUROPEAN PEACE MOVE EXPECTED

OBSTACLES TO U.S. MEDIATION / . EFFECT -ON EFFORTS TO REPEAL EMBARGO (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received October 10, 11.40 p.m.) NEW YORK, October 10. The Washington correspondent of The New York Times says the current belief is that substantial peace moves can be expected in Europe, based mostly on unsubstantiated reports that the United States is desirous of mediating, has complicated the Administration’s effort to lift the arms embargo. Pacific moves in Europe are likely to lessen the chances of repeal. The United States Secretary of State (Mr Cordell Hull) reiterated that the President (Mr Franklin D Roosevelt) would make no peace moves unless Britain and France indicated acceptance of a plan for discussion on the lines Herr Hitler suggested. He added that Cabinet had not discussed mediation by the United States.

Germany has not requested action formally and Britain and France have not expressed views on the question. Officials feel that the peace moves are most tentative. Even should the British Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain) outline Britain’s and France’s terms tomorrow, it is uncertain whether the White House wduld act. The neutrality debate today broke out in the Ho.ise of Representatives. Mr R. O. Woodruff (Republican) moved a resolution for a formal investigation of the organization known as “the Committee to Keep America out of Foreign Wars,” which Mr Hamilton Fish (Republican) is sponsoring.

Mr Woodruff asserted that Mr Fish had created “a gigantic propaganda racket,” criticized the solicitation of funds and qpestioned the purpose of it. He referred to Mr Fish’s recent trip to Europe, during which he was the guest of the Nazi Foreign Minister (Herr Joachim von Ribbentrop). Mr Fish declared that the books of the organization were open to any inspection and denied that a formal investigation was necessary. “It has come to a pretty state of affairs when by implication a representative can be charged with being a traitor to his country because he rose in Herr von Ribbentrop’s aeroplane,” he said.

Mr Clare E. Hoffman (Republican), defending Mr Fish, asserted that the organization was created to meet “the propaganda of a drive to get us into war.” He compared the manner in which Congress had been called for a special session with the manner in which Herr Hitler directed the Reichstag. He said: “Herr Hitler tells his Congress: ‘Go on home.’ Mr Roosevelt tells us: ‘Don’t do anything’.” In the Senate Senator Edwin C. Johnson (Democrat) proposed a Senate recess of three days to await the outcome of European peace moves. Senator A. W. Barkley (Democrat) blocked a vote on the proposal, persuading Senator Johnson to withdraw it until the speech which was in progress when it was introduced was completed. The Administration is opposing the proposal, contending that there is no evidence of peace negotiations even starting.

PRINCES MURDERED IN POLAND LONDON, October 9. The Polish Embassy in London confirms the murders in Poland of Prince Janusz Radziwill at his castle, which j was occupied by the Russians, and of Prince Leon Radziwill and General Lucj an Zeligowski.