Evening star., 1940-11-02
Roosevelt Experience
Is Asset in Critical
Times, Hull Says
Charges U. S. Is Being
Led Into War Denied
As Unwurrunted
(HuH Tert. Page HI

Denouncing charges that Presi-
dent Roosevelt Is leading the coun-
try into war as wholly unwar-
ranted and vicious" Secretary of
State Hull said last night that in
stead "this country is being in
trenched against war" and could
"go forward with confidence" under
Mr.. Roosevelt's seasoned leader
ship"
Mr.. Hull forsook his role of aloOf-
ness from the political campaign to
protest against what he termed
outrageous" attempts by orators
of the opposition" to confuse and
mislead the voters by raising coun-
terfeit issues and arousing suspi-
ciOn."
He spoke over three radio net
works under sponsorship of the
Democratic State Committee Of
New York.
This Is no time for the country
to be making a change from ex-
perience to inexperience," he said
in urging Mr.. Roosevelt's re-elec-
ton. THE Presidents practical ex-
perience and his familiarity with
the facts and problems Of the inter-
national situation as they affect this
country are at this moment an
extraordinarily valuable asset"
Sees Injury to United States Safety.
Declaring that in recent weeks the
Presidents record of service has
been subjected to all sorts of petty
attacks by those who are asking the
Nation to switch to them for leader
ship" the Secretary said:
In the absence of even a shred
Of tenable arguments, resort is be-
ing made more and more, day and
night, to unfounded, contradictory
and inconsistent statements, and to
produce general confusion.
I'm pursuing these tactics, the
political orators of the opposition
are more and more contradicting
themselves and each other. This
whole outrageous procedure is re-
sorted to without the slightest re-
gard to the vast injury which 1t does
to the safety and the vital interests
of the Nation.
ITO throw firebrands of hysteria
into the election campaign at one
of the most critical moments in the
history of the Nation may we'll jeop-
ardize the safety of the country"
Entertainment Against War.
In protesting against these at
tempts to confuse and mislead the
voters" Mr.. Hull said "outstanding
is the wholly unwarranted and
vicious charge that the President is
leading us into war"
He asserted that on the contrary.
the country is being entrenched
against war; by the Governments
action in strengthening national de-
fense to discourage would-be as
sailants" or repel assaults if they
should come. warning the people of
danger If other countries under as
sault should go down, and making
the Nations resources available to
states whose survival is important
10 our OWL security.
While all this is being done, he
added, the already grave peril ''is
being increased by the utterances of
those who irresponsibly deny that
there is danger, those who misrepre-
sent our diplomatic and military eff
forts of preparedness those
who distort the record simply for
the purpose of influencing the bal
loting."
Mr.. Hull emphasized that the first
essential for assuring peace and Sc
curity for the United States is "clear
and full recognition by our people
of the nature and extent of the
peril which confronts the country"
Continuity Of Leadership.
Warning that the "conquering
nations have fixed no limits for
their program of conquest" he said
they now "are desperately strug-
Cling to seize control of the oceans
as an essential means of achieving
and maintaing their conquest of the
other continents"
Should they succeed in this" he
asked, "can any one believe that
they would be content to leave us
and the other nations Of this hemi-
sphere at peace-unless we, too,
should become subservient to their
will?"
In view of the grave problems
confronting the Nation, Mr.. Hull
said, lit should be obvious that the
balance of advantage lies with con-
tinuity of national leadership"
president Roosevelt's record of
unremitting labor for peace, of
ceaseless efforts to keep war away
from this country and this hemi-
sphere cannot be blacked out by
any attacks on his sincerity and
good faith" he added. That rec
ord has been one of adherence to
sound principles and practical OBJ
jectives which can, in the fullest
possible measure, assure the security
and safeguard the peace of this
country"