FACTOR FOR PEACE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 January 1940, Page 5

FACTOR FOR PEACE

0— — PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT’S HOPE MISSION OF THE UNITED STATES. MILITARY INCREASER MEANTIME. By Telegraph-Press Association —Copyright. (Received This Day, 9.10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, January 3. Addressing Congress at the opening of the session, President Roosevelt said the United States must be a potent and active factor in seeking the re-estab-lishment of peace. He added: “But we must likewise be prepared to take care of ourselves if the world cannot attain peace. Accordingly, lam asking for increases for the Army and Navy which are based on common sense, not panic.” “OUR OWN BUSINESS” - AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION DRAWN. MR ROOSEVELT ON PEACE & SECURITY. (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, January 3. In the course of his address to Congress, President Roosevelt said: —“I can also understand the wishfulness of those who over-simplify the situation by repeating that al,I we have to do is to mind our own business and keep the nation out of the war, but there is a vast difference between minding our own business and pretending thrtt this war is none of our business “We do not have to go to war with other nations, but at least we can strive with other nations to encourage the kind of peace that will lighten the world’s troubles. I ask that all of us think things through with the single aim of how best to serve the future of our own nation .... For it becomes clearer and clearer that the future world would be a shabby and dangerous place to live in, even for Americans, if it were ruled by force in the hands of a few .... Already the crash of swiftly moving events over the earth has made us all think with a longer view. The time is long past when .any political party could curry or capture public favour by labelling itself a peace party. That label belongs to the whole of the United States.” AFFAIRS OF NATION ASTRONOMICAL BUDGET FIGURES. POLITICS AND WAR OUTLOOK. WASHINGTON, January 2. President Roosevelt’s annual message to Congress on Wednesday ios expected to give Americans not only an interesting account of the internal affairs of the nation, but also a chart of America’s position in a world at war. President Roosevelt’s Budget is expected to total 9.5O().(1OO.(IOO dollars, predicting a 1940-41 fiscal year deficit of approximately 3,000,000,000 dollars, bringing the National Debt to the statutory limit of 45.000.000,000 dollars.

The' expenditure, moreover, of 2,000,000,000 dollars on national defence involving new taxes totalling 500,000,000 dollars, will certainly offer inflammable material for Congressional debates.

The President is confidently expected to propose no further experimental legislation, but the New Deal continues a live issue and will remain so until the Presidential election in November. Prominent mention of Mr Cordell Hull's name for the Presidency is expected to produce confusion in the Democratic ranks. Mr Hull incidentally will face the greatest political test of his career since the reciprocal trade programme which he sponsored will undergo an extreme attack.