Evening star., 1936-09-08
Text of Hull's Address
Secretary of State Delivers Plea for Peace by
International COOPERATION in Welcoming
Power Delegates.
Power Delegates.

changed in the recent past. From the
end Of the World War up to a short
time ago those who labored to bring
about the settlement of differences
among nations by peaceful means
were termed impractical idealists. The
realists were those who put no faith
in those efforts for the peaceful settle
ment OF international disputes. They
refused to believe in the possible effec-
tiveness Of this work for peace and
held that 1t was futile to attempt to
settle differences between nations ex-
cept by the Judgment of the sword.
Must Repair Peace Fabric.
But today the true realist In inter-
national affairs knows that in the face
Of present threats our efforts to devise
ways and means of preserving the
peace must be redoubled. The true
realist Is he who knows that the fabric
Of peace has been worn perilously
thin; that if it is again torn asunder
by the bloody hands of war it may
never be repaired.
spoke a moment ago of the great
responsibility of governments and
peoples to preserve the peace. In all
history the weight Of that response
bility has never been so great as al
this hour The world has countless
times in the past known the horror
and destruction of war. In each case
it has labored back to the sanity OF
peace. sometimes quickly. sometimes
only after long, dark years of struggle
But the wars of the past. with the
exception Of the world conflict which
began in 1914. give US no basis fol
judging the effects of g war of the
future. II war comes upon us it viii
be fought not alone by uniformed
armies and navies. but by the entire
population Of the countries involved
Airplanes. poison gas and other
modern fighting equipment of which
We can only conjecture would make
the world veritable inferno.
A general war now would set loose
forces that would be beyond control
forces which might easily bring about
virtual destruction of modern politi-
cal thought, with all its achievements
and possibly veritable shatterine
Of our civilization. Our one hope is
that the governments and peoples OF
the world may fully realize the solemn
responsibility which rests upon them
all and that realistic envisaging oil
the inevitable consequences will pre-
vent their flying at each others
throats, no matter how great may be
their impulses and the fancied in
centives.
Opportunity for Peace.
There exists today an unparalleled
opportunity for those nations anc
groups which look forward with clear
vision to bring about an early return
to sane perspectives and relationships
based upon full comprehension that
the members of the family of nations
must live together amicably and work
together in peace Or be broken in an
utterly destructive misuse of the power
and the instruments which, properly
used, bear beneficial witness to the
amazing constructive capacity of man
kind.
cannot too strongly urge that
with the great capacity which you
possess and the influence which you
can WELD. you, the members Of this
congress and your associates in every
land. bend your efforts increasingly
toward perfecting programs of meth
ods for the preservation and promo
ton of peace. urge that you insist
that che products of your constructive
thought and efforts be devoted to
constructive ends.