Is Roosevelt Playing Hitler's Game?

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 306, 28 December 1939, Page 7

Is Roosevelt Playing Hitler's Game?

“Peace at Any Price” Unthinkable REACTION TO PRESIDENT’S APPEAL United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received Wednesday, 11.30 p.m. NEW YORK, Dec. 27. “If President Roosevelt has joined those calling for peace now at any price the most surprised peoplo in the world, except perhaps Hitler and liis inner Cabinet, would be Mr. Roosevelt’s diplomatic aids,” says Mr. Arthur Krock, Washington correspondent of tho New York Times. “Obviously the President would thereby be accepting the German case and method and weakening those of the Allies. “To ask Britain and France to ait with Hitler now at the peace table is to ask them to confess that they were wrong in going to war. It is to inform Hitler that neutrals, particularly the United States, believe that peace on his terms is more desirable than war with any objective. There is no evidence that Americans generally have any such attitude. Certainly this administration would never be pacifist to this degree. “Because these consequences of the Presidential intervention are at present so clear reports of recent German peace feelers have not interested the President’s closest aides. They have not heard that these approaches, if made, were accompanied by promises to substitute other methods for exterior aggression and internal despotism. If and when they are made, after proper consultation with the other belligerents the President may be expected to act, but not before.” A Washington message says the public reaction to President Roosevelt’s peace letter to the religious leaders is overwhelmingly favourable. The Catholic, Protestant and Jewish leaders have responded cordially. The Apostolic Delegate has conveyed to President Roosevelt his Holiness the Pope’s “very great joy” at the message in which common endeavours toward peace are urged, and 4 * profound gratitude at the choice of Mr. Myrone Taylor as President Roosevelt’s personal representative at the Vatican. The Pope is making a personal official reply to the President. The Apostolic Delegate concluded: “The President’s message brought joy to the Holy See because it contained such high hopes of spiritual and civil benefits for the cause of peace.” President Roosevelt announces that Dr. Buttrick (president of the Council of Christian Churches) will confer with him on December 27. President Roosevelt expressed satisfaction that tho Holy See was working on parallel lines and announced an exchange of New Year greetings with King Victor Emanuel. Tho President’s greeting was: “May the New Year have in store for you and all Italians the peace and happiness we all so greatly desire.”