KEEPING WORLD’S PEACE

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1927, Page 7

KEEPING WORLD’S PEACE

MILITARY FORCE REQUIRED STATES PRESIDENT'S VIEW THE LIMITATION OF NAVIS® By Telegraph—Preaa Amu.—Copyright. Washington, May President Coolidge spoke at the Arlington Cemetery during the Memorial Day celebrations, and outlined the programme which would dictate the action of the United States’ delegates to the Naval Disarmament Conference at Geneva on June 20. He said: “While we wish peace everywhere, it is our desire that it be a peace, not imposed by America, but a peace established by each nation for itself. Although we are well aware that in the immediate past, and perhaps even now, there are certain localities where our citizens would be given over to pillage and murder but for the presence of our military forces, nevertheless it is the settled policy of this Government to deal with other nations, not on the basis of force and compulsion, but of understanding and goodwill. “However much we wish to pursue the paths of peace, we cannot escape the fact that there are still evil forces in the world. We could no more dispense with military forces than police forces. While we are firmly convinced it is altogether practical and possible to limit their size by international covenants, to consent to their abolition would be to expose ourselves first to aggression and finally to destruction. “We are sufficiently acquainted with human nature to realise that we :ara often-times the object of envy. It is to protect ourselves that we maintain our national defence. We have a sufficient reserve of resources, so we need, not be hasty in asserting our rights. We can afford to let our patience bo commensurate with our power.” President Coolidge asked for the substitution of reason and law in world affairs in place of force and compulsion. He said the Government was attempting to proceed in accordance with these principles in its relatione with China, Nicaragua and Mexico, and was inviting Britain and Japan to participate in a three-power naval limitation conference. He intimated that the foreign affairs of the United States were becoming more and more important, and constituted a field to which it was necessary for the Government and the people to give greater attention than was now realised. , , Received May 31, 7.45 p.m. , q. Washington, May 30. Members of the Australian Industrial Mission attended the memorial service at Arlington cemetery and placed a wreath on the unknown soldier’s grave. They afterwards listened to the address by President Coolidge.