AMERICAN OPINION RESIGNED TO WAR

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22518, 28 September 1938, Page 12

AMERICAN OPINION RESIGNED TO WAR

Effect

U.S. PLEA FOR ' . '■l?’: 1 - f PEACE

APPEAL TO HITLER AND BENES

MR roosevelt»s MESSAGE ’ --■ p. i • i •• /

jCßec«iT«d September 27, 9.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, September 26.- | “Whitaver may be the differences in tba Oontroversies at issue, hoW!ever dl|Bcult of pacific settlement : they n>*y be, 1 am persuaded there js nb problem scr difficult or so presscannot be justly solved by resdtt to reason, rather than by resort'- ffi force,” said Mr Roosevelt, -1 making* l direct personal appeal to HeiT Hitler and Dr, Bends to settle, ' their Controversies .by negotiation, »nd preserve peace. -injuring the present crisis the ' people- of the United State* and. thedg-.Government earnestly hoped ' that'lfifigotlaftbhs for adjustment of the 'cpntroversy ini' Europe might reach a successful conclusion. So - ]png as negotiations continue - tirill the hope that reason and a IbrK- of equity may prevail, and j*>woridmay thereby escape the idness of a new resort to war. On ipr .of 130,000,000 people of the lifed States; and for the sake* of mahity : everywhere, 1 most earntly appeal to you, not to break off gotiatjona. . ; ? - v : booking to a peaceful, fair, and ostructive settlement of the qUeS•ns at issue, I earnestly; repeat, so jg as negotiations continue g .differences may be reApncitecL brpkenoff reasonts nished’-and- force - asserts litself, d force produces no solution for e /future good of humanity.” Mr Roosevelt’S dramatic : plea to ert a war into which he obviously sirs the United States will .be awm ‘.was made without previous iicationthat such ; a Step was con* nplated. He cancelled a wedkd yachting trip because of the Lsis. but attended the President’s ip regatta for a feW hours. Returning to the White House, he irned the latest developments from e Secretary of State (Mr Cordell all). Apparently the Czechosloikian rejection of Herr Hitler’s test demand, combined with the •Ws of the Fuhf er’S Speech, deterihed- him to appeal directly to the tatesmen concerned. He Sat down, drafted a statement, - ,md signed It at 12.30 am., timing 5 ; t to reach Berlin, Prague; Paris, nd London as the sun rose on what ■T fJay be the last day of peace in «>pe. Journalists, roused from t beds, wete summoned to the te House. Ie message was cabled direct to f Hitler and : fir. Benes, and smitted to Mf Chamberlain and through Mr Upll. •eaee hi Immediate Danger” ie text lis as follows: “Tbefabrlc. eace on the continentof 1 Europe r jfc in immediate danger; The consequences of its rupture are incalculable. Should hostilities break out dF 1 ® lives of millions of men, women, -{and children in eVery' country in* ■UNolyed will certainly be lost, under " ances of unspeakable horror. '#> T he economic system of-every .-i-fonntry involved is certain to be iphattered. Their social structure - t be completely wrecked; ' t United Stateshas no political entanglements. It* is not caught m the mass-hatred elements of all /Europe. The supreme desire of American people is to live in peace, but in the event of a general war I Ssdff are faced with the fact that -.V / *

Effect if Czech Determination I To Resist * argenlne president appeals I FOR.PEACE “ Blame *r Conflict Will Be Allocated * By History”'.' (mrlo PBB.M IS*O(IIATIOR—COPYRIGHT.) I ■' (Received September 27, 9 p.m.) U WASHINGTON, September 27. Th«jijßffening attitude of the Czechs—particularly the refttMce in Dr. Benes’s reply to Mr Roosevelt that **The Czechoslovak nation would defend itself if attacked, . ■ and the semi-official statement in London that a lined attack An Czechoslovakia would result in French, British, „and Russian support for the former—leaves Amer«Mo|t observers convinced that war is now inevitable,:: The impact of this belief can be said to have struck fhe entire Western Hemisphere. It is reflected,. for instanc« r iii the cablegrams sent to Herr Hitler and Dr. Beneabjrthe President of Argentina (Dr. Ortiz), making a last-moment appeal to them to settle the dispute pacifically, K Americans are now convinced that war is inevitable, it can also be said definitely that there is no doubt whera the blame properly falls. •New York “Sun,” in a leading article, begs Americans to refrain from rash criticisms and dangerous - generalisations which may increase resentments. It adds: “II the worst should happen—if Europe should be precipitated to the abyss, the blame must be allocated by history on the record as it stands.”

DEJECTION IN AMERICA ——♦— —• , HELPLESSNESS FELT BY LEADERS «FAILURE TO STAVE OFF HORRIBLE PROSPECT ” 't..V>'. •, ... (Received September 27, 11.30 p.m.)

WASHINGTON, September 27,

Officials at the :White House emphasised that Mr Roosevelt’s message to Europe did not commit the United States in any .way, and described the move, for peace as indicative of American interest in the World situation.

Congressmen and peace leaders, viewed the appeal hopefully, but demanded strict neutrality.

Newspaper correspondents in Washington Who saw Mr Cordell Hull leave the White House after a tWo-hours’ consultation, during Which: be and Mr' Roosevelt listened to Herr Hitler’s speech, commented On the profound air of dejection of the Secretary of State.

It is understood he and the President Were surprised and disappointed at Herr Hitler’s failure even to refer to'Mr Roosevelt’s message to the Fuhr,er. .. This feeling of near helplessness of the two statesmen responsible for. /'"the conduct of American foreign affairs can be said to have gripped the American people in the same way after listening to Merr Hitler’s uncompromising pronouncement, : Americans had rallied... after the President’s message. Even the New York -“Sun,” known as the bitterest anti-Roosevelt . organ in' America, praised its tenor, and expressed gratification over Mr Chamberlain’s Ndte and Dr. Benes’s acceptance of its principles. ■ ' There was a faint; flicker of hope that something might come from the President’s bid, particularly since certain Congressional leaders seemed ready to go even beyond the President.

Among these was Senator J. H Lewis, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee,, who proposed that the president should in the same way summon the signatories to the Versailles Treaty for a complete revision of the peace terms. NoW, however, all expectations that America can do anything to stave off the horrible prospect of War have disappeared. Fifty spokesmen from 10 foreign countries at the International Distribution Conference emphasised that the path to peace lay through revitalised international trade. Speakers : eulogised Mr Cordell Hull’s reciprocal treaties as a contribution to trade and peace.

nd nation,; can escape in some measure the consequences of such S world catastrophe. “The United States’ traditional pcfiicy has been the settlement-.of international disputes by pacific means' It is my conviction that All people under the war threat. to-day pray that peace may be made fore, rather than after, war. It is inoperative that peoples everywhere - recall that every civilised nation Voluntarily assumed Some obligations of the Kellogg-Briand Paci .of 1928 to solve controversies' Only by pacific methods. In addition, most nations are parties to other binding treaties, placing them under an obli-, gatron to preserve peace. All countries to-day have available for peaceful solution of difficulties which may arise treaties of arbitration and conciliation to which they are parties.” Mr Roosevelt has summoned ah extraordinary SesSlor Of Cabinet for to-morrow, when it is expected he will make a thorough exploration of I the; European situation. |