Evening star., 1940-10-27

for peace we would not appear
to any other country unable to
protect our just rights.
Buenos Aires Conference.
Adopted Protective Measures.
In view of the imminence of
an impending world crisis we
proposed to our sister republics
of the Americas in January, 1886,
an extraordinary conference to
consider the best means of safe
guarding the peace of this hem
isphere. At this Inter-American
Conference for the Maintenance
of Peace, convoked at Buenos
Aires, the 81 American repub-
lies. building on the foundations
laid down at Montevideo, adopted
for the first time the great prin-
ciple that a threat from without
the continent to the peace Of
any Of them should be regarded
by the American republics as q
threat to each and every one of
them. They established in con-
tractual form the obligation to
consult together whenever the
peace of the Americas is menaced
either from within or from with.
out.
During the year 1887. while the
cauldron of European politics
seethed dangerously, the focus of
world events again shifted to the
Far East. In the summer of that
year Japan struck a further and
more extensive blow at China.
This new threat to the peace of
the world rendered appropriate
restatement of the fundamental
aims and principles of the for
eign policy of the United States.
In a statement issued on July 6,
1887, set forth those principles.
We urged upon all nations the
acceptance and observance of
those principles. We repeatedly
offered to be of assistance toward
composing the Chinese-Japanese
conflict in accordance with those
principles. We participated-and
Japan refused to participate-in
the BRUSHES conference of the
signatories to the nine power
pact, convoked for the purpose Of
bringing about peaceful solution
Of that conflict.
German Annexation
OF Austria Starts Crisis.
During the year 1898 the focus
OF events returned to Europe. In
March of that year the armed
forces Of Germany passed beyond
that country's borders and the
annexation of Austria marked the
first forcible alteration of the
frontiers established in Europe
by the treaties of peace. This
was followed, within a few
months, by an intense crisis, cul-
minating in the Munich confer
ence and the first dismember-
ment Of Czecho- -Slovakia. The
darkening shadows of an ap-
preaching war deepened over the
fields and homes of the European
continent
1t is not necessary for me to
dwell in detail on the kaleido-
scopic events of the anguished
year that preceded the outbreak
of the European war, nor of the
IA months We have since lived
through. All of us recall the
feverish activity in Europe which
became prelude to war and our
repeated attempts to influence
the contending nations to adjust
their differences by pacific means
on the basis of justice, equality
and fair dealing, without recourse
to force or threat of force. The
tragic and the heroic develop
mentS of the war months and the
brutal invasion and ruthless ex-
tlnguishment of the independence
and freedom of many countries
are too vivid in the minds of all
of us to need recapitulation.
The appalling tragedy of the
present world situation lies In the
fact that peacefully disposed ma
tions failed to recognize in time
the true nature of the aims and
ambitions which have actuated
the rulers of the heavily arming
nations. Recoiling from the mere
contemplation Of the possibility
of another widespread war. the
peoples of the peaceful nations
permitted themselves to be lulled
into false sense of security by
the assurances made by these
rulers that their aims we're linn
tied. This continued even as
succeeding events left less and
less room for doubt that, behind
the screen of these assurances,
preparations were being made for
new attempts at widespread con-
quest. To mask still further this
monstrous deception, these rulers
and their satellites attempted to
brand as war mongers" and
'imperialists" all who warned
against the clearly emerging
dangers, and poured upon them
vituperation and abuse.
U. S. Stood for Peace
And Treaty Observance.
The United States, together
with most other nations, has
stood firmly for the basic prin-
ciples underlying civilized inter-
national relations - peace, law,
justice, treaty observance. non-
Intervention. peaceful settlement
of differences, and fair dealing,
supported by the fullest prac-
ticable measure of international
cooperation. The advocacy of
these principles has won for us
the friendship of all nations,
except those which, vaguely de-
scribing themselves as the "have-
nots" and claiming a superior
right to rule over other peoples,
are today on the march with
great armies, air fleets and navies
to take by force what they say
they need or want
The rulers Of these nations
have repudiated and violated in
every essential respect the long
accepted principles of peaceful