Evening star., 1939-01-10

Massachusetts Legislator
Speaks Over Nation
Wide Network
Senator David I. Walsh of Massa-
chusetts spoke last night on Ma
tional Defense" in the National
Radio Forum, arranged by The
Star and broadcast over a Nation
wide network of the National Broad
casting Co. The text of his address
| follows
The American people are peace
loving Nation. There is no doubt on
that score and no basis for argu-
ment. They have no passion for
conquest, no lust for world SUI
premacy. They covet nothing be-
longing to any other nation any,
where on earth. They do not aspire
to the role of international police
man. With few exceptions, they do
not seek to interfere in the internal
affairs of any other nation, however
abhorrent they may sometimes be
as is the case today-and however
much they may deplore oppression
and despise dictators and grieve for
the suffering.
Let me add my own views, apart
from the question of national de-
fense through ornaments, on what
I consider to be of equal Importance
and equally deserving of emphasis
for the preservation of peace, or,
perhaps I should say, for the avoid
ance of war.
First, we should not undertake to
intervene in political disputes raging
in other parts of the world. There
is no duty. moral or legal, which i'm
poses upon our Nation responsibility
for policing international areas or
gratuitously attempting to settle in
ternational disputes. The American
people have learned from bitter ex-
perience both in actual warfare
abroad and from the heroic efforts
our Nation has made from time to
time since the World War to pre-
serve peace, that we can expect
nothing but loss of life, money and
prestige from interfering with situ-
ations developing out of the deep
rooted rivalries and animosities
which continually plague the ma
tons OF Europe and now extend to
the Orient. In my opinion, our ma
tlonal welfare demands and our
people insist that in international
relations we follow the wise Wash
ingtonian admonition to avoid en-
tangllng associations abroad. In
brief, to mind our own business.
Neutrality Should Be Emphatic.
Secondly, our neutrality must be
Wholehearted, clearly expressed and
emphatic. mean by this that we
should serve notice by law on for
elgners and citizens alike that we
IN America consider the preserva-
ton OF peace paramount to the eco
nomlc interests of follow the flag"
diplomats representing American
corporate business engaged in ex-
plotting resources or markets in
foreign countries.
lhlrdly. our neutrality laws should
not permit the commitment of this
nation to any policy or course of
action favorable or unfavorable to
any beillgerent. Neutrality should
be mandatory and not permissive
Fourthly. Congress should enact
provision suspending all trade and
commerce with belligerents at the
inception and during the continu-
ance OF hostilities. Supplying mu-
nltlons and implements of war to
one OF the belligerents and refusing
them to another because of the i'm
possibility of delivery resulting from
effective blockade, led directly to
our involvement in the World War.
FRONTS from trade with warning
nations cannot justify the ever
present danger they entail of in
Movement in war. Our primary
concern at all times must be the
lives and welfare of our youth.
Filthy, in view of the disturbed
conditions, wars, threatened wars.
and dissensions among nations
which exist today and which may
very conceivably break out tomorrow
into another international slaughter.
it is my studied conviction that we
should accompany this policy of
strict neutrality with an equally de-
clsive program of self-defense. Such
a program should not be beyond our
needs. neither hysterical nor ex-
aggerated. 1t should be broad,
comprehensive and sufficient to meet
any and all contingencies likely to
arise from the threatening inter-
national scene.
Neutrality Plus Armaments.
What have been saying amounts
to this: l am convinced our peace
and security in this country en-
braces sincere and honest policy
of neutrality as well as adequate
national defense through arma-
ments.
When we speak of arms and arma-
ments for our country's defense we
should be thinking solely in terms
of our own safety and security.
Our objectives with respect to our
national defense must never be to
promote war, or to assist in war, but
to insure peace.
We should proceed upon the con-
viction, amply supported by the rec
ords of history and reinforced by
recent events, that nation is sell
dom attacked if the weapons of it's
defense are so strong that attack
is foredoomed to failure; and. con-
versely, that weakness invites
| attack.
have always favored disarma-
ment as an avenue to peace provid-
ing the disarmament is mutual and
universal. But I am not In favor of
disarming our own country while
all the rest of the world is in arms