WARNING TO DICTATORS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 May 1938, Page 7

WARNING TO DICTATORS

WAR IF THE DEMOCRACIES ARE PUSHED TOO FAR Declarations by United States Ministers MR WOODRING PLACES RESPONSIBILITY ON JAPAN By Telegraph—Press Association. —Copyright. WASHINGTON, May 5. The. Secretary of War, Mr H. H. Woodring, in an address to the United States Chamber of Commerce, warned Germany, Italy, and Japan that if the dictatorship nations pushed democratic nations too far there would be war. Mr Woodring attributed the responsibility for present world conditions primarily to Japan. ‘He said the potential strength of peace-loving nations was an essential stabilising influence in the world, but the mere existence of this potential strength was not enough. If policemen were under strict orders never in any circumstances to use force how effective would they be in maintaining order. If a nation was to be similarly bound never to resort to any sort of force, economic or military, except against actual invasion of its territory, how long would its rights be respected in an anarchistic world? , x t. i Mr Woodring expressed the opinion that it was possible to check aggression without resort to arms. “The foundation of a nation s military strength is economic strength,” he said. “In economic strength, the democracies are stronger than the autocracies.” Mr Woodring counselled against any division of forces, either economic or political, in the domestic life of the United States. “Unity is essential at this critical moment. We must rigidly exclude the twin blights of Communism and Fascism,” he said. Mr Sumner Welles, Assistant-Secretary of State, in a radio message, declared that it was imperative for the United States to maintain adequate military and naval forces to defend the North and Latin American republics until the aggressor nations ceased violating treaty rights and obligations. ' “I believe our fellow citizens will insist that the Government be prepared to: co-operate with the other American republics if necessary to repel acts of aggression by which any non-American Power or Powers may attempt to dominate portion of the Western Hemisphere,” he said. ■ He saw no hope of a let-up in the armament race until the nations of the world re-established the fundamental principles and morals of international conduct and agreed to abide by them.