APPEALS BY PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 August 1939, Page 7

APPEALS BY PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

Addressed to Herr Hitler and Polish President ALTERNATIVE METHODS SUGGESTED DIRECT NEGOTIATION OR ARBITRATION (Ry IVlegraph. Press Association.- Copyright.) W ASH I Xtl'l't )X. August 21. President Itoosevell has addressed appeals for peace to Herr Hitler and the Polish President, M. .\loscicki. He suggests three methods ol avoiding war: (1) P>y direct negotiation; (_) by impartial arbitration of the controversy; (3) by agreement to adopt a procedure of conciliation, selecting a conciliator or moderator. He has suggested a truce from any act of hostility for a reasonable, stipulated period. President Roosevelt recalls to Herr Hiller that he had not received a reply to the message ho sent to I lie b'uehrer in April, but “because 1 of my confident belief that the cause ol world peace rises above all other considerations, I am again addressing myself to you. with the hope that the war which impends and the consequent disaster to all peoples everywhere may yet be, • tvorlo/l ’’ ho siiIVSL

message not answered. The text of President Roosevelt’s appeal to Herr Hitler reads:— “In the message I sent you on Apiii 14 last I stated that it appeared to me that the leaders of great nations had it in their power to liberate their peoples from the disaster that impended but that, unless an effort was immediately made, with goodwill on all sides, to find a peaceful, constructive solution of existing controversies, the crisis which the world was confronting must end in catastrophe. •Today that catastrophe appears very near at hand indeed. To the message which I sent you last April I received no reply, but. because my confident belief is the cause of humanity itself —rises above all other considerations. I am again addressing myself to you, with the hope that the war which impends and the consequent disaster to all peoples everywhere may yet be averted. “I therefore urge, with all earnestness —I am likewise urging the President of Poland—that lhe Governments of Germany and Poland agree, by common accord, to refrain from any positive act of hostility for a reasonable stipulated period, and that they agtee likewise to solve the controversies which have arisen between them by one of the three following methods:

"(1) By direct negotiation. “(2) By the submission of the controversies to impartial arbitration, in which they can both have confidence. •■(3) That they agree to the solution of controversies through the procedure of conciliation, selecting as conciliator or moderator a national of one of the traditionally neutral States of Europe or a national of y>ne of the American republics, which arc all free from any connection with, or participation in European political affairs. “Both Poland and Germany, being sovereign governments, il is understood, of course, that upon resort to any one of the alternatives I suggest, each nation will agree to accord complete respect to the independence and territorial integrity of the other. AMERICAN OPINION. “The people of the United States are as one in their opposition to policies of military conquest and domination. They are as one in rejecting the thesis that any ruler or any people possess the right to achieve their ends or objectives through taking action which will plunge countless millions of people into war, and which will bring distress and suffering to every nation of the world, belligerent and neutral when such ends and objectives, so far as they arc just and reasonable, can be satisfied through processes of peacefur negotiation, or by resort to judicial arbitration. “I appeal to you. in the name of the people of the United States, and. I believe, in the name of peace-loving men and women everywhere, to agree to the solution of the controversies

existing between your Government and that of Poland, through the adoption of niie of the alternative methods I have proposed, ( need hardly reiterate that, should the governments of Germany and Poland be willing to solve their differences in the peaceful manner suggested, the Government of the United States still stands prepared to contribute its share to the solution of the problems which are endangering world peace in the form set forth in my message of April 14." APPROACH TO POLAND. In his appeal io Mr Moscieki. President Roosevelt said: — “The manifest gravity of the existing crisis imposes an urgent obligation upon all to examine every possible means which might prevent the outbreak of a general war. With this in mind I feel justified in suggesting that certain avenues of solution be considered. “The controversy between the governments of Poland and Germany might be made the subject of direct discussion between the two governments concerned. Should this prove impossible or unfeasible, a second avenue might be the submission of the issues to arbitration. A third method might be conciliation through a disinterested third party, in which case it would seem appropriate that the parties avail themselves of lhe services of one of the traditionally neutral States or a disinterested republic of the Western Hemisphere, wholly removed from the area of the issues of the present crisis.

“Should you determine to attempt solution by any of these methods you are assured of the earnest and complete sympathy of the United States and its people," President Roosevelt continued. “During exploration of these avenues, I appeal to you. >as I have likewise appealed to Germany, to agree to refrain from any positive act of hostility.

"It is, I think, well known to you that, speaking of behalf of the United States. I have exerted, and will continue to exert, every influence on be.half of peace. The rank and file of the population of every nation, large and small, want peace. They do not seek military conquest. They recognise that disputes, claims and counterclaims will always arise, from time to time, between nations, but that all, without exception, can be solved by peaceful procedure, if the will on both sides exists so to do. I have addressed a communication in a similar sense to lhe Chancellor of the German Reich.”

President Roosevelt’s appeals were cabled direct to Herr Hitler and M Moscieki. not sent through regular diplomatic channels.

President Roosevelt’s secretary said that neither the President nor any member of the United States Government was offerering himself in the role of conciliator. Thus "there is no possible sugestion of involving this Government."