Evening star., 1939-04-26
Hull Warns
Defense 10
Meet Force
Tells Red Cross
Delegates Peace
Efforts Come First

An American Red Cross with a
membership more than double its
present size was the appeal heard
today by Red Cross convention dele
gates at Memorial Continental Hall.
James L. Fieser. vice chairman in
charge of domestic operations, told
the general assembly that the Red
Cross must be prepared for all even-
Qualities along with the Army and
Navy.
I'VE are not prepared with $780,
600 members, mere As per cent of
our population" he declared. adding
that the Red Cross should move rap
idly forward to 10 per cent enroll
ment.
Hear Talk by Hull.
The delegates were spurred toward
-. new preparedness measures by an
address last night by Secretary of
State Hull, in which he warned the
nations of the world that if peace
efforts gave away to an alternative
of surrender or armed resistance,
America is prepared to defend her
national interests.
Secretary Hull declared that sur
render or armed defense is all that
Is left for some nations when others
continue to arm for conquest.
I'VE are prepared to make our
contribution to peace" he asserted
but If our hopes are doomed to
disappointment; if. after all, the red
flames of war rather than the noon
day sun of peace are to illumine
our horizon, we are equally pre-
pared to defend successfully our
national interests and our cher
ished institutions
Mr.. Hull was introduced by Red
Cross Chairman Norman H. Davis,
former Ambassador at Large, as "a
statesman who has gained the con-
fidence OF the entire American
people"
Address Broadcast to World.
His address was heard throughout
the country over national radio net
works and in Europe and South
America by way of short-wave COM
munication.
There has never been, and there
Is not today" he said, room on this
earth for a political organization of
mankind under which a single ma
tion or group of nations will en-
slave and dominate all the Others"
Isolationist methods were deplored
by the speaker along with policies
OF armed aggrandizement.
Secretary Hull predicted that the
structure of peaceful international
relationship will be shattered unless
each nation respects the independ-
ence and sovereignty Of every other
nation; observes international obli-
cations voluntarily accepted in pro-
visions of international law; is pre-
pared to abstain from resort to
armed force to settle international
differences. and is willing to place
Its economic relations with others on
4 basis of "the greatest practicable,
mutually advantageous interchange
of goods and services"
mo nation can prosper he de-
clared. without adequate access to
the resources of the entire world,
, rather than only to those contained
within its own frontiers"
Classifies Authors of War.
Nations which use armed force on
any plea whatever, he said, "are the
authors of war, the awful cost of
which is paid by their own people
and by the rest of mankind"
Secretary Hull told the Red Cross
delegates that this country must
do everything in its power to
strengthen their organization "for
the great service of mercy which it
will be called upon to render if
our hope and labor for peace should
unhappily fail"
80 long as the possibility of a
new war still haunts the world" he
stated, the American Red Cross
is vital adjunct to our national
defense
The speaker pointed out that un-
der modern conditions of warfare
the tasks of the Red Cross are
greatly expanded as the range of
present-day instruments of war ex-
tends to the entire country rather
than remains restricted to the field
Of battle.
world disturbed by war and a fear
of war" was described earlier by
President Roosevelt in an after
noon address to the delegates from
the south portico of the White
House
~ Cites "Striking Contrast"
Nearly $500 workers stood on the
spacious lawn to hear the President
I. characterize their efforts as "strik-
ing contrast to inhumane acts
which have shocked our conscience"
N 1.-THE task before us is enormous"
he asserted. 90 But we shall
not fail because we know all Amer
fca has been with us, is with us
and is going to be with us in days
to come
When there is disaster, he said,
every agency of the Federal Gov
. ernment is directed to cooperate
with the Red Cross. I'm the days
of the Ohio Valley f1ood-shortly
after I became the head of your
Oreanization-I took keen pleasure
In putting the chief of staff of the
Army and the chief of staff of the
Navy under the Red Cross the
President smilingly commented.
He told the delegates that you
Are carrying out, and you are i'm
proving on a great tradition" and
admonished them that their work
never can be finished while human
misery exists"
III More than 1000 delegates jammed
the main ballroom of the Mayflower
Hotel for last nights banquet, which
commemorated the 18th anniversary
of the treaty of Geneva-the origin
of the Red Cross.
n Secretary Describes Work.
A graphic description of the work
done by the organization during the
years since its inception was given
by Miss Mabel T. Boardman, secre-
!tary of the American Red Cross.
-