Evening star., 1939-08-24
Tert of Roosevelt plea, Page A-3.

A personal appeal from President
Roosevelt to King Victor Emmanuel
of Italy for the latter's interven-
ton on behalf of peace in Europe
was delivered to the Italian mon
arch today while the President
hastened toward Washington for
immediate conferences with his for
eign policy advisers.
The plea was delivered to King
Victor orally by Ambassador Will
liam Phillips at an audience ar
ranged by Premier Mussolini and
Count Ciano, Italy's foreign min
lister. The place was the royal
summer residence at SAINT Anna di
Valdieri, near Turin.
ut is my belief" the Presidents
message to the Italian ruler de-
clared, that your majesty and
your majesty's government can
greatly influence the averting Of
an outbreak of war"
AS an incentive the Chief Execu-
tive renewed his suggestion of last
April that discussion be undertaken
to seek relief from armament bur-
dens and ito open avenues of inter.
national trade, including sources Of
raw materials necessary to the
peaceful economic life of each ma
ton"
Were it possible for your ma
jestys government to formulate
proposals for pacific solution Of
the present crisis along these lines,
you are assured of the earnest SYM
pathy of the United States"
Kings Response Not Known.
Nothing was available to indicate
the Kings response to the plea, ad-
dressed solely to him.
The Associated Press reported
that Ambassador Phillips left an
aide memoire with the King after
his audience and that copies there
after were communicated to the for
eign ministry in Rome.
Secretary of State Hull, planning
to meet President Roosevelt at
Union Station on the latter's return
from a curtailed vacation cruisc, re-
leased copies here shortly before
noon. The time of actual presenta-
ton to the King was fixed at pm,
Italian time. g am, E. S. t.
Copies of the appeal also were be-
ing sent to the American Embassies
and legations interested in the Eu-
ropean crisis, Secretary Hull dis
closed, but no copy was being sent
directly to the German government,
which seemingly controls the pre-
cariouS situation. Ambassador Phil
lips was authorized to submit a copy
to Premier Mussolini, however, the
State Department announced.
The President couched his COM
munication in terms appealing to
the whole Italian people, citing the
traditional accord between Italy
and the United States and the ties Of
consanguinity between millions of
our citizens" as factors in the de-
termination of his action.
"A Right to Independence"
Remarking at the difficulty with
which Americans visualize the bitter
animosities among the smaller ma
tions of Europe, Mr.. Roosevelt added
pointedly:
But we accept the fact that these
nations have an absolute right to
maintain their national independ-
ence if they so desire. If that be
sound doctrine. then it must apply
to the weaker nations as well as
to the stronger.
Acceptance of this means peace"
he added, because fear of aggres-
sion ends. The alternative. which
means of necessity efforts by the
strong to dominate the weak, will
lead not only to war, but to long
future years of oppression on the
part of victors and to rebellion on
the part of the vanquished. So his
tory tells u.s."
This was the second appeal ad-
dressed by this Government to Italy
in four months. The first was made
by Secretary Hull, on behalf of the
President, to Mussolini April IA, at
the same time that the President
sent his appeal to Chancellor Hitler.
Mr.. Hull said today he did not
recall that any reply had ever been
received to the message to Musso-
lini.
President Asked to Help.
Almost simultaneously with to-
days action by the President came
word from the 33d annual Inter-
national Peace Congress at Zurich,
Switzerland, that it had voted an
appeal to him to intervene immedi-
ately with second call for a world
conference.
Although the State Department
said the message to King Victor
had been dispatched yesterday, Mr..
Roosevelt gave no hint Of it this