The Waikato Times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1939 REARMAMENT COMES FIRST

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20731, 15 February 1939, Page 6

The Waikato Times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1939 REARMAMENT COMES FIRST

“Safety first” is apparently the motto adopted by the United States in its new foreign policy. Many requests have been made to President Roosevelt to call a peace and disarmament conference, but the Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, in a world-wide broadcast indirectly indicated that rearmament must be placed before a peace conference. “It is our duty to strengthen our armed forces when the. spectre of a major war haunts the world,” he said. “Any Government would be derelict in its duty if it failed to provide proper defences which must go hand in hand with unflagging efforts to prevent war by eliminating the causes of conflict. The basic causes underlying war are chiefly economic.” It seems that America cannot see in present international conditions any reasonable prospect for the success of a disarmament conference. Therefore it intends to take the safe course of first making itself strong enough to meet any immediate danger. That largely is the attitude of the rest of the democratic world. Britain also is eagerly awaiting an opportunity to bring the nations together, but only recently Mr Neville Chamberlain said: “It is useless to embark on discussions aiming at a general settlement unless the atmosphere is favourable, and unless we are convinced that all attending want a peaceful settlement and have no sinister ideas in their minds.” That statement is said to have angered Herr Hitler, though it is inconceivable that it should unless the cap fitted. It is not impossible that Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini would welcome an armaments “standstill” agreement on the present basis of strengths, because they must see the rising tide of strength in the democratic countries, which could eventually submerge the “totalitarian” States. Germany and Italy may have an advantage now, hut it cannot last long. If they were permitted to hold that advantage permanently they would no doubt be well pleased. But there is a grim determination in the democratic States not again to be found wanting as long as any Power threatens their safety and the peace of the world. While no one would pretend that the world is yet out of the wood, every week of peace now brings a greater assurance of safety from attack. Soon the democratic Powers will be so strong that any attack must come only from a most desperate nation. When full strength is reached, no doubt President Roosevelt and others will hold out the olive branch with some hope that their gesture will not be scorned. In the meantime no nation is absolved from the duty of endeavouring to remove the economic causes of conflict. In that regard, something may be expected from the foreign trade discussions shortly to he undertaken between Britain and Germany.