At Peace—But Armed

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 818, 12 November 1929, Page 11

At Peace —But Armed

WORLD ON ARMISTICE DAY President Hoover’s Message tinder of war not yet destroyed ( L i'it cd l*.A. —By Telegraph — Copyright* ;l 111 WASHINGTON. Monday. HE world today is comparatively at peace and the outlook tor a peaceable future is more bright than for half 1 century past said President Hoover, in his Armistice Dav address. 'tet. after all, it is an armed peace. The men under 111 the world, including active reserves, total almost dM.OOU.OOO. or nearly 10,000,000 more than before the Great >V ar.

Owing to the Washington arms < onterente and the destruction of the German navy, the combatant ships in trie world show some decrease since the war. but aircraft and o.her Instruments of destruction are fur more |Wm .B£ than even in the Great War. iTTere are fears, distrusts and smouldering injuries among the nations. which are the tinder of war. “Nor does a single quarter of a century throughout all the ages of human experience warrant the assumption that war will not. occur i again.” 1 he President then made optimistic references to the Kellogg Pact and other evidences of goodwill. He dwelt upon the necessity of protecting citizens in the various quarters of the globe, and continued: SPECTRES OF DISCORD e must realise thai there are many unsolved problems of boundaries between the nations. There are peoples who aspire to a greater ; measure of self-government. There are fears of invasion and domination , bequeathed to all humanity from former wars. "There i:; a host of age-old controversies the spectres of which haunt the world, and which at any time may touch the springs of fear and ill-will. We must frankly accept the fart, therefore, that we. and all the nations of the world, will be involved for all future time in small or great controversies arising out of all these j multiple causes.

“We need further to extend our treaties with other countries, and to provide methods for the reference of controversies to a conference to make inquiries as to the facts, or to arbi-

tration or judicial determination. We have need to detine rules for the conduct of nations and to formulate an authoritative system of ittfei na-

tional law. '\V e have need, under proper reservations, to support the World Court in order that we may secure the judicial determination of certain types of controversies and build up precedents which will add to the body of international law.*' AMERICA AND LEAGUE Referring to the interest of the 1 nited States in means for assuring tlie settlement of international controversies, President Hoover said: "There arc today two roads to that end. The European nations have, by the covenant of the League of Nations, agreed that it the nations fail to settle their differences peaceably, then force should be applied by other nations to compel them to he reasonable.

"We have refused to travel this road. We are confident that, at least m the Western Hemisphere, public opinion will suffice to check violence. This is tlie roac! we propose to I travel. "Where opportunity offers we must work stedfastlv to remove the deeper causes of friction which lead to disputes and ill-w ill. One of those causes is competition in armaments.” EVILS OF ARMAMENTS After outlining the evils of armaments, the President continued: “It is first and foremost for us to rid ourselves of this danger. Again I have initiated naval negotiations. I have full confidence in the success of the Five Powers Conference which is to assemble next January in London. “In setting up this conference we have already agreed with Britain that there shall be parity of naval strength between us. I am in hopes that there will be a serious reduction in navies as a relief to the economic burdens of all peoples, and I believe the men and women throughout the world demand such a reduction. We must reduce and limit warships by agreement only. I have no faith in the reduction of armaments by example alone. “Until such time as the nations can build the agencies for the pacific settlement of disputes on stronger foundations: until fear—that most dangerous of all national emotions—has been proved groundless by long proof of international honesty; until the power of world-wide public opinion as a restraint of aggression lias had many years of test, there will not have been established that confidence which will warrant the ahau- , donment of preparedness for defence among the nations. To do so may be to invite war. “We will reduce our naval strength in proportion to any other Power. Having said that, it only remains for iii" others to say how low they will go. It cannot be too low' for I us.” FREEDOM OF THE SEAS President Hoover went on to refer to what he termed “another of those age-old controversies which stir men's minds and fears,” namely, the socalled freedom of the seas. “In reality, in our day.” lie said, “it is simply the right of private citizens to trade in time of war, for there is today complete freedom of the seas in time of peace. *T am going to have the temerity to put forward an idea which might break through the involved legal questions and the age-old interpretations of right and wrong, by taking a practical step that would solve a large part of the intrinsic problem. It would act as a preventive as well ns a limitation of war. I offer it only for the consideration of the world. I have nc ,t made it a Government proposition to any nation, and I do not do

so now. . , I know that any wide departure from the accepted ideas requires a hum and searching examination. This j« not a proposition for the forthcoming Five Powers Naval Conference, as that session is for a definite purpose ,nd this proposal will not be injected into it. food ships should be free • i*or many years, because of poigu-

ant personal experience. I have held that food ships should he made free of any interference in time of war. 1 would place all vessels laden solely with food supplies on the same footing as hospital ships. "The time has come when we should remove the starvation of women and children from the weapons of warfare. The fear of interruption of sea-borne food supplies has powerfully tended toward naval development in both the important exporting nations.” Emphasising the necessity, beyond all things, of building up a spirit of goodwill and friendliness and of creating respect and confidence as a guaranty of peace. the President concluded: “It was in this endeavour that I visited the Presidents of the South American Republics. That is why T welcomed the Prime Minister of Britain to the United States. “All these men have talked of their problems in a spirit charged with very grave responsibility. Not. only for our own relations, but for the peace and safety of the world we thought out loud together as men cannot think in diplomatic Notes. “We made no commitments. We drove no discussion to a final conclusion. We explored areas of possible constructive action and possible controversy. We examined the pitfalls of international relations frankly and openly.

“With this wider understanding of our mutual difficulties and aspirations, we can, each in his own sphere, the better contribute toward broadening goodwill and assisting those forces which make for peace in the world, also toward curbing those forces which make for distrust.”