SHADOWS OF WAR OVER EUROPE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21323, 18 April 1939, Page 7

SHADOWS OF WAR OVER EUROPE

IRISH APPEAL FOR UNITY

“Mercy of Providence Can

Prevent War”

Will President’s Appeal Succeed

Uncertainty in Australia

United Press Association—By electric Telegraph—Copvrlght LONDON, April 16. Mr de Valera (President of the Executive of Eire) in a public speech at Clare, said 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. Mr de Valera asked, was it too late for the hundreds of millions wanting peace to demand a conference of Powers before. Instead of after, war, and was it possible that President Roosevelt’s request could be refused.

Mr de Valera added 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 Government s policy was neutrality, which could be attained only through strength. It was necessary to prepare the defences to the limit of the country’s resources.

Mr de Valera appealed for national unity and more volunteers.

PACTS WILL NOT BE KEPT AUSTRALIA’S MISTRUST OF DICTATORS United Press Association—Bv Electric Telegraph —Copyright SYDNEY, April 17. Tire Federal Minister of External Affairs (the Hon. W. M. Hughes) said: “I am afraid that President Roosevelt’s proposals to Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini is like asking a drunkard to give up alcohol for ten years. “I think it is a splendid idea.” Mr Hughes added, “but it is not a new one. Athens and Sparta made a pact to last fifty years, but it lasted less than a year. “In view of the experience of the last twenty years, we can onlj’ ask, are noaggression or any kind of pacts worth anything at all?” HONOUR FOR THE FUHRER DANZIG TO CONFER HONORARY CITIZENSHIP United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright BI 'LIN, April 16. One of the features of the celebrations of Herr Hitler’s birthday on April 20, will be the delivery of a letter conferring on him honorary citizenship of Danzig.

GETTING DOWN TO REALITIES

REACTIONS TO SPEECH IN DOMINION FULL APPROVAL BY GOVERNMENT By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, April 17. Highly commending the statement made by President Roosevelt, the Prime Minister (Mr Savage) said today that he thought it an outstanding .statement that should mean something to the nations of the world. Everyone with a desire for the peace of the world and the welfare of the human race could not do less than approve every word President Roosevelt had uttered.

“President Roosevelt,” said Mr Savage, “suggests that the misunderstandings could be discussed, and he does not ask the people to remain as they are. It is not too much to ask, or to expect, of the representatives of the various nations to meet and discuss the problems facing them. These things have to be settled in any case, if we are to have peace. “The people do not fight for the love of it. There are underlying causes, and if the representatives of the nations will meet to talk about them, then they will have a chance of removing those causes.”

Mr Savage emphasised the value of a proper trade relationship as a means toward peace. He said that people condemned economic nationalism without putting anything in its place. The trend to-day was toward each individual nation doing as much as it could for its own people, that being forced on the simply because no one would give a lead in the matter of meeting to discuss economic problems and getting down to realities. Mr Savage added that it was a pity the world did not have a few more men like President Roosevelt.