Evening star., 1940-10-27


Declares Ocean Is No
Longer q Barrier
To Invasion
Secretary Hups address at the
National Press Club dinner last
night tolloDs::
1t is with no light heart that I
address you and any others who
may be listening tonight on the
subject of our international rela-
tions. I should be lacking in
candor if I did not emphasize the
gravity of the present situation.
Only once before in our ma
tional existence has as grave a
danger from without threatened
this Nation as the danger which
looms today on the international
horizon. That was in the stirring
days when the founders of this
Republic staked everything on
their unshakable conviction that
a nation of free men could be es-
tabliShed and would endure on
the soil of America. Theirs was
a struggle and a victory of fruits
which have been the proud in
heritance of succeeding genera
tions of Americans for more than
a century and a half. These gen.
erations, including our own, have
enjoyed this inheritance in a
world where human freedom, ma
tional independence and order
under law we're steadily becoming
more and more firmly established
as a system of civilized relations
among nations and among indi-
viduals.
Today that system and all
peaceful nations. including our
own, are gravely menaced. The
danger arises out Of the plans
and acts of a small group of
national rulers who have sue
ceeded in Transforming their
peoples into forceful instruments
for widespread domination by
conquest.
To understand the significance
Of this danger and to prepare to
meet it successfully we must see
clearly the tragic lessons taught
by what has occurred since the
protagonists of conquest began
their march across the earth. l
ask you to review with me the
whirlwind developments of one
of the saddest and most crucial
decades in the history of man
kind-that of the 1930S.
Economic DislOcation
Disrupts Economic Relations.
The opening years of the
decade were filled with ominous
rumblings of impending disaster.
Profound economic dislocation
had spread rapidly to every part
of the world. 1t had disrupted
international economic relations
and was causing untold distress
everywhere. The structure OF
international peace was still
intact. but a dangerous breach
was opened in it by the jap
anese occupation of Manchuria
in 1881. The act, universally
condemned at the time, proved
to be only the beginning of an
epidemic of callous disregard OF
international commitments -
probably unparalleled in the
annals of history. international
discussions for the reduction and
limitation of ornaments. begun
much earlier, were dragging
along. Their failure to result i'll
effective agreements was adding
to the general feeling OF appre-
hension and insecurity.
These developments were bound
to create grave difficulties and
grave dangers for our country,
as we'll as for the rest of the
world. The problems which they
presented imperatively demanded
on our part vigorous initiative
and leadership in the promotion
and defense of the national
interest.
Accordingly, in the conduct of
foreign policy, this Government
directed its efforts to the follow
ing objectives: Cd Peace and
security for the United States
with advocacy of peace and limi-
tation of armament as universal
international detectives; (2) sup
port for law. order, justice and
morality and the principle of
non intervention; 80 restoration
and cultivation of sound eco
nomic methods and relations;
ca development of the maximum
measure of international CO.
operation; 80 promotion OF the
security, solidarity and general
welfare of the Western Hemi-
sphere. These basic objectives Of
q good -neighbor policy repre-
sented a sound and practical
middle course between the ex-
tremeS of internationalism and
isolation. They have been con-
sistently pursued throughout.
The sweep of events has, of
course, required the focusing of
our attention at different periods
upon different problems and
different geographic areas.
Montevideo Conference
Opened Friendly Opportunity.
In the early '30s, the re-
lations among the American re-
publics left much to be desired.
Elements of mistrust, apprehen-
sion and disunion had to be elm
mated if a good-neighbor policy
was really to prevail on the
American continent and provide
a foundation upon which 81 free
and independent American re-
publics could establish peaceful
and mutually beneficial relations