ROOSEVELT PLEA

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20110, 2 December 1939, Page 5

ROOSEVELT PLEA

, CHECK ON RAIDS | DEFENCELESS TOWNS I PRESS CASTIGATION i SOVIET “BURGLAR” i ILLUSION EXPLODED ! (Elec. To], Copyright—Unitad Press Assn.) (Reed. Dec. 2, 10.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 1. I Washington reports that President j Roosevelt yesterday forwarded a mes- | sage to Russia and Finland in terms | similar to his appeal made on Seplem- ; ber 1 to belligerents to refrain from | the bombing of open towns. “I am addressing this urgent appeal to the Russian and Finnish Govern-

merits as I have to others engaged in general hostilities?’ states the president. Mr. Roosevelt's message to the Soviet and Finnish Governments says: “The news of the Soviet naval and military bombings of Finnish territory came as a profound shock to the Government and people of the United States. Despite the efforts to solve the dispute by peaceful methods, to which no reasonable objection could be offered, one Power has chosen to resort to force of arms. Tragic to Behold “It is tragic to see the policy of force spreading and to.realise that wanton disregard of the law is still on the march. Ail peace-loving peoples in nations which are still hoping for a continuance of relations on the world wide basis of law and order will unanimously condemn this new resort to military force as an arbiter of international differences to the great misfortune of the world. "The present trend to use force makes insecure the independent existence of the small nations of every continent, and jeopardises the rights of mankind to self-government. “The people and Government of Finland have a long, honourable and wholly peaceful record which has won them 'the respect and warm regard of the people and Government of the United States. The New York Times, in an editorial, says: “The outer world has been peculiarly shaken by this latest outrage—an invasion with no pretence" or excuse beyond a burglar’s desire to possess others’ property. One tiling is clear .... the victim of the aggression will not toe the toig casualty in this .brazen war. Edifice Crumbling “The great edifice that is crumbling is built of moving slogans, pretensions, promises and dreams—dreams of those looking to Moscow as the capital of the world proletariat . . . .The bombs raining on Finnish workers will finally explode the mighty illusion. The defeat will not be Finland’s. It will be the defeat of the Russian revolution and the power of the idea of giving the Communist International what dominion it had.” The New York Herald-Tribune, in an editorial, says: “What the United States can and should do is for the future to decide that Americans are never so free of war excitement or firmer resolved to maintain peace as long as they safely can. but they must accept the truth that the forces of the evil Russian-German alliance unleashed threaten not only democratic Europe, but the whole of the civilised world. However remote the United States hopes to remain from actual hostilities, .she owes a duty to decent opinion to express horror and .detestation at the latest totalitarian crime.”