ACTION NEEDED.

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18947, 17 May 1933, Page 7

ACTION NEEDED.

PROFESSION AND PRACTICE

MR ROOSEVELT’S PROPOSALS.

NATIONS’ LACK OF CONFIDENCE.

(Offloial Wireless.) (Received May 17. 11.45 a.m.)

RUGBY, May 16

The text of President Roosevelt's message became available in London late this evening. Although the hour -of Its arrival 'precludes any official British comment to-night no doubt can exist that

the spirit of the statement will meet with the warmest approval, and the proposals will be studied with a genuine de&lre to cooperate effectively In obtaining the fulfilment of the President’s hope “that peaoe may be assured through praotloal measures of disarmament, and that all of us may oarry to victory our common struggle against ooonomlo ohaos.”

The President states: "The Eoonomlo Conference must come to Its oonoluslons quickly. The world cannot await for lengthy deliberations and long delayed decisions. The conference must establish order in place of the present chaos by the stabilisation of currencies by freeing the flow of world trade and by international action to raise price levels—it must, in short, supplement individual domestio programmes for economic recovery by wise considered international action. “As for the Disarmament Conference, confused purposes still clash dangerously, and duty lies in bringing practical results through concerted action.

“I believe an overwhelming majority of the people feel obliged to retain excessive armaments because they fear some aot of aggression against them, and not beoause they themselves seek to be aggressors.

“There is justification for this fear. Modern weapons of offence are vastly ■stronger than modern weapons of defence. If all nations agree wholly to eliminate weapons which make possible a successful attack, defences automatically will become impregnable, and the frontiers and independence of every nation will become secure.

“The ultimate objective of the Disarmament Conference must be the complete elimination of all offensive ■weapons. The Immediate objective is substantial‘reduction in some of these weapons and the elimination of many ethers. “The United States Government welcomes the measures now proposed, and will exert Its influence towards further successive steps of disarmament.

' “There are three steps to be agreed upon in the present discussions; namely:

First to take at once the first definite step as broadly outlined iri Mr Ramsay MacDonald’s plan. The second to agree . upon time procedure for Taking the following steps.

Third, to agree while the first and following steps are being taken that no nation shall increase- its existing armaments beyond The limitation of treaty obligations.

“But the peace of the world must be assured during the whole 'period of disarmament. I therefore propose a fourth step concurrent with the fulfilment of these three proposals and subject to existing treaty rights—that all the nations of the world enter into a solemn and definite pact of nenaggression, and that they solemnly reaffirm the obligations they have assumed to limit and reduce armaments, and provided these obligations are faithfully executed that they agree they will send no armed force across their frontiers.”

The President urges all nations to translate their professed policies Into aotlon.