“LOVELY HOPE"

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 August 1939, Page 7

“LOVELY HOPE"

THAT WAR MAY BE AVERTED ENTERTAINED BY PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT. NOT CALLING SPECIAL SESSION MEANTIME. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day. 9.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, August 25. President Roosevelt at a Press conference said: "There is still hope that war may be averted in Europe, and because this hope still exists, I cannot make any decision now in connection with calling a special session of congress to consider revising the neutrality law. The President made it clear, however. that, he regards the current situation ns one of the utmost gravity. He said he believed he had made the position clear regarding a special session. when tie, said at Hyde Park on August II that he would not call Congress until it became clear that war was imminent. He added that there seemed to be some confusion about the word “imminent" and said he had always felt that the word carried the connotation “certainly," and that he would not regard the present situation as certain to result in war. It seemed to him, he said, that there was nothing to be said further than that regarding the special session. A touch of irony crept into Mr Roosevelt’s tone as he described the prospects of peace as a lovely hope. He said he had no information in addition to that possessed by the newspaper men in arriving at his feeling that there still exists a lovely hope that there will be no war. Turning to the effect of a possible European war on the United States. Mr I Roosevelt said the Government departI men's and agencies had been al. work I since September, 1938. establishing ma I chinery to cushion the ell'ecl of a foreign conflict.

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