The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-04-27

-
Roosevelts appeal to the Dlcta-
tors of G srmany and CT Italy, -
Hitler and Mussolini - to agree
to make no further Warlike eff
forts to extend their powers, and
then to sit down in a world con-
ference of nations to try to find a
peaceful way of settling their
grievances, whatever they may
be, is easily the most dramatic
gesture Mr.. Roosevelt, with all
his fondness for dramatic geS-
lures, has yet made.
How far it takes the United
States into the field of European
power politics" is question
which official Washington is still
puzzling over.
AS an appeal for peace, the
Presidents message to the Dlcta-
tors is in line with established
American policy. At the same
time that the announcement was
made that such a message had
been sent, orders were given to
the Navy to send all of the fleet
except the Atlantic Squadron
back into the Pacific Ocean.
No explanation was given, but
the move was taken here as an
indication that there was no
thought in the Presidents mind
Of warlike measures in case the
Dictator powers refused to come
to his conference.
No Disagreement
There is no important disagree
ment with this or any other Ell
fort to smooth out the unsettled
condition of the world. There is
great deal of disagreement ex-
pressed in Washington as to the
effectiveness of this particular
method.
This is the third time Mr..
Roosevelt has asked the Dlctators
to be good boys and not grab OFT
any more nations that didn't be-
long to them, and they haven't
paid any attention in the past.
This time, however, official
Washington and the most expert
enced observers here believe that
the President is counting upon
backing up his peace plea by
show of force if he finds public
sentiment here and abroad
strongly enough behind him.
The appeal to the dictators
came as the climax to week IN
which the President made sever
al warlike utteranCes. Leaving
Warm Springs on a Monday to
return to Washington he had re-
marked: I'll be back in the Fall
if we don't have a war" That re-
mark started not only newspaper
men but the public generally to
specializing whether he meant he
saw a possibility of war IN
which we" the people Of the
United States, would be involved,
or whether he meant by we the
human race in general. 1t also
started the people and govern
ments of Europe to guessing what
he meant.
Explains Statement
On Tuesday he explained to
the Washington newspaper men
that what he had in mind was
that if the expected war broke out
in Europe it would have a seri-
Gus effect upon the American ma
ton and our people; but that
since the war had not yet start
ed when he spoke. it might be
averted if the free nations, in
Guiding the United States, took
stand before it was too late.
His intention was, in short. to
warn Hitler and MuSsolini that
if they started a world war they
would have to count on the OPP
position of this country as well
as England and France.
A few days later, on Friday, the
President did some more talking
which set the public guessing.
Addressing the Pan American
Union, the organization of all the
nations of North and South
America, he called upon the peo-
pie of the totalitarian nations of
Europe to break the bonds of the
ideas which enslaved them and
were leading them toward war,
and declared that the United
States would meet any invasion
of the independence of any ma
ton of the Western Hemisphere,
"force with force"
Then on Saturday came the cir
cular letter to the dictatorS.
Speaks At Mount Vernon
In the meantime, however, on
Friday afternoon, Mr.. Roosevelt
mCtored down to Mount Vernon
and there, on the portico of Geo