DEFENCE OF AMERICA

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21217, 13 September 1940, Page 6

DEFENCE OF AMERICA

MR ROOSEVELT’S WARNING AN EVER=GROWING NEED ASSURANCE TO LABOUR United rress Asn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 President Roosevelt, in a speech at the Teamsters’ Union Convention, said America was rising to meet an ever-growing need for adequate physical and armed defence. The President promised not to abandon Labour, which would gain as a result of rearmament. At the same time he pointed out that in countries where unions had disappeared the iron hand of dictators had taken command. He emphasised that people who yielded liberty for revolutionary promises received only a rationing of news, religion, clothes and bread. “Our mighty defeitce effort against all present and potential threats,” said Mr Roosevelt, “cannot be measured alone in terms of the mathematical increase in soldiers, sailors, guns, tanks and aeroplanes. Behind all this must stand a united people. “I hate war more than ever. I have one supreme determination —to do all I can to keep war from these shores for all time. “Let us have an end to appeasement, which seeks to keep us helpless by playing on fear and by indirect sabotage of all the progress we are making.” Conscription Bill Members of the Senate and House of Representatives in conference agreed to the conscription measure requiring the registration of men between the ages of 21 and 35. They eliminated an amendment proposed by Mr Hamilton Fish (Republican—New York) to postpone the draft for 60 days. Anti-British Drive The New York Herald-Tribune says the Steuben Society is launching a drive against British influence in America, for which 100 of the society’s members are contributing 100 dollars each.

The society is described as politically the most powerful GermanAmerican organisation.