The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-03-17
.LAWLESSNESS IN
 WORLD ALARMS
Must Be Halted, Says Hull; Isolation No Protection
 For Us
By HOBART c. MONTEE United Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Staff Correspondent)
 Washington, March 17-OP)- Speaking to a world alarmed by threats of war, Secretary of State Cordell Hull declared today that the fate of civilizat tion may hinge upon efforts to halt international law leSSness.
 Hull presented a comprehensive statement of United States policy "a re-statement in careful phrases of his announcements and those of President Roosevelt since mid-sum- mer of 1897. He spoke before the National Press club and his remarks were broadcast domeStically and by 1 special radio hook-ups were carried 1 abroad.
 He said developments of recent years had been '.Catastrophic," said that events of past weeks had been startling and declared these de- velopments offer a tragic demon- stration of how quickly the con- tagious scourge of treaty-breaking and armed viloence spreads from one region to another"
 To critics of American policy especially those voices raised in congress against the naval expan- sion proposal and against any pro- gram of parallel action with nations whose objectives coincide with America 's-Hull declared:
 The triumph of this seclusionist viewpoint would inescapably carry the whole world back to the condi- tions of medieval chaos, conditions toward which some parts of both the eastern and western worlds are already moving.
 Such is the fate to which eX- treme isolationists-isola at any price-all those who contend that we should neither protest against abuses nor cooperate with others toward keeping principles alive, those who say that under no circumstances should be insist upon any rights beyond our own terri torial waters-such is the fate to which blind eXtremism of this type would consign this country and the world"
 Hull did not mention by name Germany nor Austria, nor the Hitler coup but he left no doubt to whom he referred as treaty breakers and nations whose actions tend to in- terna tional anarchy.
 He said flatly America has no al- liance or understanding-as has been charged-with any foreign na- ton, and has no intention of form ing any He said the United States has not the slightest intention ito entertain any such notion as the use of American armed forces for policing the world
 On the other hand, he asserted, this nation proposes to continue to respect the rights and interests of all peace loving nations, and intends that all other nations respect Amer ican lives, property, and rights in all parts of the world.
 While pursuing policy of peace, Hull said this government would not permit it's defense forces to deterio- rate while other nations were arm ing to the teeth.
 Tn a world in which the rule of force has not yet been firmly and surely supplanted by the rule of law, it is the manifest duty of great nation to maintain armed forces adequate for it's national defense. "No policy would prove more dis aStrous than for an important nation to fail to arm adequately when in- ternational lawlessness is on the rampage. It is my considered judg- ment that, in the present state of world affairs, to do less than is now proposed would lay our country open to unpredictable hazards.
 Tt would, moreover, seriously re- strict our nations ability to com mand, without purpose or occasion for resorting to arms, proper respect for its legitimate rights and inter- ests, the surrender of which would constitute abandonment of the fun damental principles of justice and morality and peace among nations.
 "The maintenance of these prin- ciples that are of concern to all na- tions alike, cannot and should not be undertaken by any one nation alone.
 Prudence and common sense dic- tate that, where this and other na- tions have common interests and common objectives, we should not hesitate to exchange information and to confer with the governments of such other nations, and, in deal ing with the problems confronting each alike, to proceed along par allel lines-this government retain ing at all times it's independence of judgment and freedom of action.
 "For nations which seek peace to assume with respect to each other attitudes of complete aloofness would serve only to encourage and virtually to invite, on the part of other nations lawlessly inclined, pol icies and actions most likely to en- danger peace"
 With European events plainly in mind, Hull said that the momentous question today "is whether the doc Urine of force shall become en- throned once more and bring in its wake, ineXorably, international an- archy and relapse into barbarism; or whether this and other peaceful nations, fervently attached to the tNY.ir1 ntv xrtn ink h ipxfA