Evening star., 1935-10-27

44O1C 40 VAN pSAe VA tAAS ASRAy
Secretary Hull last night instructed
Hugh R. Wilson. Ambassador to
Switzerland. to deliver to the president
of the Committee of Coordination of
the League of Nations:
His Excellency, DR.. Augusta de Vascon-
cellos, President of the Committee of
Coordination, League of Nations,
Geneva.
Excellency:
have received your communication
of october 81, transmitting certain
documents in the Italo-E Ethiopian dis
pute, including the minutes Of the
Council of October Z, the minutes of
the Assembly from October 9 to II
and the recommendations of the Co.
ordination Committee, for which I de-
sire to express appreciation.
In regard to your statement that
the governments represented on the
Coordination Committee would well
come any communication which any
non-member state may deem it proper
to make to you, or notifications of any
action which it may be taking in the
circumstances, it is, of course, we'll
known that the Government and
people of the United States are deeply
interested in the prevention of war,
and hence in the sanctity of treaties
and promotion of peace in every part
of the world; that as a corollary to
their adherence of war with the hu-
man sufferings, the impoverishmentS
of states and peoples, business dislo-
cation and embittered feelings engen-
dered by warfare, we are by tradi-
ton ST. ong proponents of the principle
that all differences between members
of the family of nations should be
settled by pacific means.
Cites Treaties in Effect.
I need only call attention to The
Hague Convention of 1907 for the
pacific settlement of international dis
putes. the pact of Paris, in the nego-
tiation of which the Government of
the United States played an important
part; the anti-war pact sponsored by
the Argentine government and signed
at Rio de Janeiro on october IL, 1888,
and the various conventions Of con-
ciliatior and arbitration to which the
United States is party. These in
struments of peace impose upon all ma
tions parties thereto most solemn re-
sponSibilities, and no nation can look
with complacency upon their non-
observance.
AS regards the situation now un-
happily existing between Ethiopia
and Italy, I may point out that the
Government of the United States put
forth every practicable effort to aid
in the preservation of peace, through
conferences, official acts, diplomatic
communications and public state
ments, and emphasized particularly
the principles of the pact Of Paris and
the high legal and moral obligations
of the signatories thereto. This Gov-
eminent repeatedly expressed its anx-
iety and the hope that the controversy
would be resolved without resort to
armed conflict and the conviction Of
the entire Nation that failure to ar
rive at a peaceful settlement OF the
dispute and the subsequent outbreak of
hostilities would be q world calamity.
Proclamations Issued.
When, however, it was found that
hostilities actually existed between
Ethiopia and Italy, this Government,
acting on its own initiative, promptly
announced a number of basic measures
primarily to avoid being drawn into
the war. and which also would not be
without effect in discouraging war.
The President of the United States
on october S, 1885, issued a procla-
nation bringing into operation under
an act of Congress an embargo on the
expectation of arms, ammunition and
implements of war to both belligerents.
The issuance of this proclamation
automatically brought into operation
another provision Of the act Of Con-
gress making it unlawful for any
American vessel to carry arms, ammu-
milton or implements Of war to any
port Of the belligerent countries or
to any neutral port for transshipment
to or for the use Of either Of the bel
ligerents.
On the same day, the President
issued a further proclamation warn
ing American nations against travel
on belligerent vessels and stating that
such travel would be at their own
risk.
Trade Risks Pointed Out.
In addition to the three measures
just mentioned, the President took q
fourth and most important step by
issuing q public statement definitely
warning American citizens against
transactions of any character with
either Of the belligerent nations, ex-
cept at their own risk.
This latter statement was later en-
phasized when I publicly pointed out
that the warning given by the Presi-
dent certainly was not intended to
encourage transactions with the bel
ligerents" and that "our people might
we'll realize that the universal state
of business uncertainty and suspense
on account of the war is seriously
handicapping business between all
countries and that the sooner the wal
Is terminated the sooner the restora-
ton and stabilization of business in
all parts of the world, which is infln-
itely more important than trade with
the belligerents, will be brought
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