AMERICAN UNITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 November 1938, Page 5

AMERICAN UNITY

PREPARATIONS FOR LIMA CONFERENCE

FRONT AGAINST FASCISM BEING FORMED.

ANTI-GERMAN FEELING GROWING By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. WASHINGTON. November 13. While new condemnations of the German treatment of the Jews have fed the growing anti-German sentiment throughout the United States, the Government has moved swiftly over the weekend to clear the way for a powerful front of American republics against Europe’s Fascist forces when the eighth international conference of the American States will be convened in Lima, Peru, on December 9. ! The State Department has settled the land dispute with Mexico, assured Argentina that its wheat markets would not be invaded, entertained and lionised the Cuban Chief-of-Staff, Colonel Zaldivar Batista, and appointed a national unity delegation to go to Lima, headed by the Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, and including Mr Alfred M. Landon, Mr Roosevelt’s opponent at the last presidential election.

General Craig, Chief of Staff, issued a warning that the United States army was lagging dangerously behind those of other Powers and recommended increases in personnel and equipment. After this Mr Adolf Berle, Assist-ant-Secretary of State, broadcast to Latin America. ‘ One expected accomplishment of the Lima conference,” he said, “will be to make our common defence more secure. There should be no fear that the United States rearmament programme constitutes anything save recourse for general defence.” The State Department has stressed repeatedly that Pan-American unity at the Lima conference is vital if the Western Hemisphere is to stave" off Nazi and Fascist encroachment from abroad.

This is believed to have played a strong part in the settlement of the Mexican and Argentinian disputes. Moreover, the United States reception for Colonel Batista is believed to have drawn Cuba further into Mr Hull’s good-neighbour orbit. Colonel Batista, who recently became an earnest advocate of democratic procedure and constitutional government, conferred with President Roosevelt and Mr Hull and army and navy officials. It is believed they discussed the strengthening of naval and aerial communications in the Caribbean, possibly by the development of an American base on Cuban soil. The sincerity of President Roosevelt’s appeal before the recent elections for a common national defence in the face of the troubled world is reflected in the selection of the Lima delegation, which, besides listing Mr Landon just under Mr Hull, includes representatives of both the American Federation of Labour and the Committee for Industrial Organisation. New criticisms of Germany include Mr Herbert Hoover’s statement that the attacks against the Jews, if carried eny further, would cause Germany’s condemnation by mankind for centuries to come. He added that he felt he had more than usual right to protest because he insisted upon saving the Germans from famine after the armistice and participated over a period of years in many official actions in aiding’ Germany to recover from the war.

“However, Germany’s rulers are destroying every effort of the German people's friends who sought to aid them,” he said. Congressman Dies classified HenHitler as the “world’s leading purveyor of racial and religious hate.”