Evening star., 1933-05-22
Davis Informs
Parley Of
Stand.
READY TO PLACE
BLAME FOR WAR
America Won't OBJ
struct Ii Agggressor
Is Agreed Upon.
~ the Associated Press.

Il
GENEVA, May 22.-PreSident
Roosevelt's peace message was
translated into a program of &C
uon at the Disarmament Confer
ence today when the United
States virtually offered to aban-
don its traditional policy of iso-
lation.
Norman H. Davis, American
Ambassador t-large, TOLD the ma
tions of the world that his Gov
ernment would consult with them
when peace is menaced. If the
United States agrees with the
other countries concerning the
identity o., an aggreSSor nation,
he promised that Washington will
refrain from any action of a ma
ture to hinder collective efforts to
restore peace.
League Interpretation.
Members of the League of Nations in
terpreted the Davis statement to mean
that the United States would respect
blockade by League powers against a
nation responsible for an outbreak of
war.
This doctrine, considered by League
of Nations circles as an abandonment
of Americas traditional policy of iso-
lation, was announced by Mr.. Davis to
the Disarmament Conference in an
eagerly-awaited speech this afternoon.
Win Not Remain Neutral
The doctrine was taken to mean that
when the nations take punitive meas
ures against an aggressor the United
States, if it agrees to the identity of
the aggressor, will not insist upon the
rights of neutrality.
Mr. Davis also announced that the
United States, advocates system OF
control and supervision OF ornaments
and said that American readiness to
participate in measures for this control
would be effective, automatic and per-
manent.
Inferentially opposing a brusk re-
vision of treaties, the American ambas-
sador at large urged the maintenance
of the territorial status quo.
He revealed that his country defines
an aggressor as one whose armed forces
are found upon foreign territory in
violation of treaties.
Opposed to Rearmament.
He also announced that the United
States is opposed to the rearmament of
any nation and declared in favor of the
abolition of offensive arms.
He reiterated American acceptance
of Premier Ramsay MacDonald's re-
cent disarmament proposals.
Turning to the Versailles treaty and
its consequences, Mr.. Davis expressed
the conviction that there is a con-
tractural obligation for armed nations
to reduce their ornaments to de-
fensive level which would be compar-
able to the level to which the van
Cuished powers were obliged to reduce
their armaments by the peace treaties.
He referred to President Roosevelt's
proposal for an international agreement
to prevent the sending ,of armed forces
outside national territory and then gave
his definition of an aggressor nation as
in line with that proposal.
ITO cut the power of offense and
remove the threat of surprise attack
would do more than anything else to
lessen the danger Of war" Mr.. Davis
said.
If substantive reductions in arma-
ments are effected, he continued, the
United States is prepared to contribute
in other ways to the organization OF
peace
In particular" he explained. "we are
willing to consult the other states in
case of threat to peace with the view
of averting conflict.
Further than that, in the event that
the states in conference determine that
a state has been guilty Of a breach OF
the peace in violation of its inter-
national obligations and take measures
against the violator, then, If we concur
in the Judgment rendered as to the
responsible and guilty party, we Will
refrain from any action tending to de-
feat such collective effort which the
states may thus make to restore peace"
The American Ambassador at large
came out for reinforcing the powers OF
the proposed disarmament commission.
This commission" he said, will
have no more essential duty than that
of effectively supervising fulf1llment OF
the treaty. We recognize that the ulti-
mate objective in disarmament must be
obtained by stages, but we believe that
the time for the next and decisive step
is long overdue and it cannot further
be postponed"
Definition OF AggressOr.
Referring to the definition Of an ag-
pressor. Mr. Davis said that "in the long
run we may come to the conclusion that
the most simple and most accurate
definition of an aggressor is one whose
armed forces are found on alien soil IN
violation of treaties"
referring to apprehension that Ger
many intends to rearm, he asserted that
If anv nation failed to give conclusive
evidence of its pacific intentions and in
sisted on the right to rearm, "even
though other powers make effective sub
stantial steps toward disarmament, then
the burden of responsibility for failure
of the Disarmament Conference would
rest on the shoulders of that nation"
Mr. Davis declared
President Roosevelt's message is a
clear indication of the fact that the
United States will exert its full power
and influence and accept its just share
Of responsibility to make the results in
disarmament definite, prompt and
effective"
Delegations which packed the gal
leries listened raptly to the exposition
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