The border vidette., 1933-05-27
AMERICA TO ABANDON POLICY
OF ISOLATION


Tuesday, the United States gov
ernment, pledged itself never to
interfere with international &C
tion to deal with menace Of
war, once the aggressor nation
responsible for that menace has
been satisfactorily identified.
This far-reaching policy was
announced by Norman 81. Davis,
! President Roosevelt's represen
tative at the disarmament con
ference. 1t was interpreted as
meaning that in the future the
League of Nations can boycott,
blockade aud otherwise punish
an aggressor without fear of
complications by the United
States.
Mr.. Davis also committed the
American government to partici
pate 10 effective, automatic and
continuous" international super
vision designed to make certain
that nations carry out their
promises 10 disarmament.
President Roosevelts mes
sage" be said. lis a clear indi
cation of the fact that the United
States will exert it's full power
and influence and accept its just
share of responsibility to make
| the results in disarmament def
mite, prompt and effective.
His speech. greeted by the
cheers of the delegates of fifty
nations, was accepted by Euro
pean Commentators as marking
abandonment of the traditional
American policy of isolation and
neutrality.
Concretely, the American doc
trine was interpreted to mean
that the British navy now can
feel more free to help the Lea
que of Nations keep the peace
because it will be in no danger
of coming to grips with the
American navy.
After announcing that the
United States was willing to
consult with other states in case
of a threat to peace. Mr.. Davis
set forth the American policy in
these words:
Further than that, ia the
event that the states (countries) },
in conference determine that q
state has been guilty of breach
of the peace in violation of its
international obligations and
take measures against the VIC
lator, then, if we concur in the
Judgment rendered as to the
guilty party, we will refrain
from any action tending to de
feat such collective effort which
these states may thus make to
restore peace.
Thus the only condition is that
the United States agree with the
other nations as to which is the
guilty country.
10 other words, according to
the Interpretation accepted 10
Geneva. America not only puts
a curb on her neutrality rights
but voluntarily Unity her liberty
on the sea.
Although America would con
suit with other nations, she pre-
sumably would not vote ia de-
termining an aggressor.
Mr.. Davis told the conference
that either something must be
accomplished in disarmament or
the nations must become recon
ciled to reverting to race in
arms.
If the latter course is taken"
he said, the consequences are
inevitable. Sooner or later there
will be the breakdown of the
peace machinery which has been
SO laborously built up since 1918
and the world will be swept into
another war
He proposed drastic arms re
ductions, saying that the United
States was prepared to go as
far as the other states"
We feel that the ultimate OBJ.
| jective should be to reduce arm
aments approximately to the
level esta blished by the peace
treaties; that is, to bring arma
ments as sooo as possible thru
successive stages down to the
basis of a domestic police force" {"
be continued.
Ia particular, as empasized
by President Roosevelt. we are
prepared to join other nations 10
abolishing weapons of an ag
gressive character which are not
on)v the most costly to construct