AMERICA'S VIEWS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20921, 28 September 1939, Page 8

AMERICA'S VIEWS

LASTING PEACE MRS ROOSEVELT’S HOPES CANNOT GO SCOT FREE (United Press Assn.—Elec. TeL Copyright) (Received Sept. 28, 3.15 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 Mrs Roosevelt, in a statement said:

“ The United States will be in a better position to help make a more lasting peace if its fighting forces are not involved. Peace must not sow the seeds of the next war.

“It gives men a horrible sinking feeling to hear people say, ‘Let them stew in their own juice just so that we keep out.’ We cannot go scot free. It just does not happen that way. But I hope and pray that we can keep out of the war.”

STOP OUT OF WAR

THE NEUTRALITY ISSUE ATTITUDE TO EMBARGO (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) CHICAGO, Sept. 26 The American Legion committee advocates that the United States should stay out of the war. It has demanded that Congress should remain in session throughout the crisis and has left to Congress the decision on the repeal of the arms embargo. It is not taking a stand on this subject.

Speaking at Cleveland, the president of the Republic Steel Company, Mr T. Girdler, urged the repeal of the embargo in order to keep the United States out of the war. He announced that his company was spending 3,000,000 dollars on the expansion of plant. The foreign trade section of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution against the amendment of the neutrality law to ban American ships from sailing to belligerent ports, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, regardless of the actual hazards. The immediate effect of such an amendment would be the cessation of valuable tourist traffic to Australia and New Zealand, which otherwise would be expandable owing to the shutting off of Europe. The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce passed a similar resolution. Sweeping Programme A sweeping programme designed to keep the European war away from the Americas was proposed by the United States Assistant-Secretary of State, Mr Sumner Welles, at the PanAmerican Conference. Among its chief provisions are a safety zone for merchant shipping with the United States in effect bearing the chief burden of patrolling it and preventing searches, seizures and raiding, and the banning of belligerent submarines from American ports. The programme also includes joint representation to the belligerents setting forth the Americas’ neutrality declarations, the establishment of a committee to study the stabilisation of monetary and commercial relationships between the Americas, the preservation of liberal trade policies and the suppression of subversive activities violating neutrality. Mr Welles stated plainly that the United States Navy would co-operate in patrolling waters adjacent to the Americas. It is understood that the waters of Canada and the colonies and possessions of the belligerents are excepted from the safety zone. LEGION’S DEMANDS AVOID THE WAR BUT BE PREPARED (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. CoDvrlg-ht) (Received Sept. 28, 3.15 p.m.) CHICAGO, Sept. 27 The American Legion, although continuing to stress that America must avoid war to-day, demanded that the Government adopt immediately a programme to provide raw materials sufficient to maintain the army and navy at a minimum of 1,000,000 men at least each year. The legion also asked for an immediate increase in the regular army to full peacetime strength of 280,000, the National Guard at 486,000 and the subsequent removal of these numerical restrictions.

AMERICA’S ATTITUDE

NEUTRALITY BILL OPPOSITION WEAKENING (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 28, 3.15 p.m.) NEW YORK, Sept. 27 The American Press Washington correspondent says that opposition to the prompt approval of the Administrations Neutrality Bill by the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate faded when Senator Borah, one of its strongest opponents, said the expected measure would be reported to the Senate floor to-mor-row, permitting the opening of the debate on Monday. Senator Borah explained that the Opposition make its main attack on the proposed repeal of the embargo.