NATIONAL APPEAL

Hokitika Guardian, 18 May 1933, Page 5

NATIONAL APPEAL

TO 54 NATIONS

STEPS TOWARD DISARMAMENT.

fßritish Official Wireless.)

■RUGBY, May 16. In the course of his President Roosevelt stated:— “As for the Disarmament Conference, confused purposes still clash dangerously, and duty lie* in b inging practical results through concerted action. I. believe that an oVervv.w.._---n----tng majority of people feel that they are obliged to retain excessive armaments, because they fear some act oi aggression against them, and not because 'they themselves seek to be the aggressors. There is justification for this fear. /Modern weapon s of offence are vastly stronger tha n modern weapons of defence. If all notions agree wholly to eliminate weapons which /make possible a successful attack, defences .automatically wil] be l come impregnable, and the frontiers and independence of every nation will become secure. The ultimate objective of the Die-armament- I '•'Conference must be the complete elimination of all offensive weapons. Thd-immediate oh* Jectivci is' a reduction 01 eome of these weapons,' and : the elimination vof- many Others, The United States Government welcomes 'the measure now' proposed, and will exert its influence towards further successive steps 'in disarmament. Three ar© three steps to be agreed upon in the present discussions ; First, to. take at once the first definite step, as broadly outlined In tbe MacDonald plan ; second, to agree upon the time and prosecude for taking .the following steps; .third, to agree, -while the first and following steps are! being taken, that no nation shall<■< increase existing armaments, beyond the limitations of treaty, obligations .77

But the peace of the world must be ■assured-during the whole period of disarmament, ffl *prbp?&?: a fourth step, concnrteht with' thb" fulfilment of. these . three-proposals- and subject to existing treaty rights, that all the of-the- world enter a solemn, definite pact of non-aggres-sion,':. thfit .''they- solemnly' re-affirm tile obligations they assumed to limit, and reduce armaments,'-' - and, .provided that thesd ''obligations -faithfully executed that they agree .' they will send armed r" force acrosgT their .. sno ' *)“« : - '■(

, The-'President ■' urges' all the nations to translate their professed policies into action. President'Roosevelt to-night stood foft-h with a direct appeal to renounce UggreSsioh, and to abolish powerful weapohs [- of- attack, so' that the nations Of : the world may move togetlitir • toward-'.'peadb: ifthd 'pros'perlty. Amid acclaim from the elected United Stated Representatives, ■ the President' turned expectantly toward Berlin, Toki° and other 'important capitals on ; whose re-action-depends the ' success of’h's effort .to lead the world a Way from, war, and the talk of/"War; -• He ' ' resounded ■J InerleaV approval of Mr Ramsay MacDonald’s armspear. J '

Encouragement is 'drawn from preliminary dispatches saying that the message has been very favourably received by the German statesmen, f o r, most of all, the officials at Washington iare concerned with the attitude 'of Hitlerite Germany. The message is seen in official quarters as striking at the roots of the strife in the Past past ; of the open war in South America, and of the foreboding of troublous days in (Europe, arising from the dissatisfaction with the -/Versailles Treaty.

•A NON-AGGRESSION PACT.

U.S. PREMIER’S PROPOSAL 1 ;

Washington* May i&President Roosevelt told 'Congress in a special message, that he proposed a pact to fifty-four nations “because it has become increasingly- • evident that; the 1 assurance of world political and economic (peace and stability is threatened bv selfish short-sighted , policies, ' I nctron S) and threats of action.” The president declared : • An overwhelming majority. ''of nations the danger of recalcitrant obstruction » a ve r y s mal! minority. It is high time for the United States and every other nation to understand the simple facts, that the invasion of any nation or the destruction of national sover-eignty-can be prevented only by the complete elimination of the weapons that make such a course possib e o-

.Senator Borah described the inclusion of 'Russia in the message as the “technical recognition of the .Soviet.”

ECONOMIC ASPECTS

lUTGBY. May 16. Tn his sneech, . President Roosevelt stated: “The Economic Conference must come to its conclusions quickly. iota* «"*, de ibsK “ lo " , n „ delayed. The ConfeTenre must stablish order in place of the present Saos by the stabilisation of enrrenIs br «• ?»"’ " f . ' vor d nn d by international action to supplement individual domestic P ; { or economic record y bv S! considered interuation action.

BROADCAST BY KING GEORGE

LONDON, May 17-rpbo,-“Daily Chronicle” says that

the King, when opening the World Economic Conference on July 12th. will speak from a “hall of microphones,” enabling hi s speech to be heard by every listener in the world by a gigantic wifciess-telephone relay, linking up five continents.

SOVIET’S POLICY OF PEACE

(Received May 18 at 10.30 a .in A LONDON, May 17

The King -personally received Mr Roosevelt’s message. and replied direct.

RIGA, Uev 17

(The Soviet dias decided ,to iin-modi-ately reply to Mr R.oo-ovelt. emphasising that, it- persistently pursued the policy cf peace, desnite endless aggravation, and is willing to join in" a general limitation of armaments, and sign an international pact of non-agf ressio, provided Russia's political, e anomie and juridical sovereignty is fully recognised.