Defence Deprecated ational Peace Conference!
Issues Reassurances N
Washington, Dec. 26.
The National Peace Conference issued a statement today denouncing the "current wave of hysteria" regarding American foreign relations and urged the appointment of a Congressional committee to study all phases of the governments forthcoming national defence programme.
The statement said immediate steps, should be taken to "clarity relations between United States foreign policies and national defence requirements." The Conference, contended that the geographical position of the United States is the "controlling factor" in the problem, "The United States," the statement said, "is in a strategic position to defend its territory on the North American continent and to defend the Caribbean, Central America and most of South America against any foreign Powers or any combination of powers."
Outside the western hemisphere, however, the ability of the United States to defend any of its policies is limited by the factor of distance, the statement said. The Conference contended that the United States cannot defend the Open Door in China by force or guarantee the defence of the Philippines.
Current nervousness in America over international affairs is not justified by "calm appraisal of the facts," the statement. said.
The Conference opposed further expansion of the government's naval and plane building programme and warned against any attempt to solve the domestic recovery problems through national defence expenditures.
Sponsors of the Conference included Mr. Oswald Garrison Villard, prominent editor. and two retired major-generals, William Rivers and Henry Newcomes.—United Press.
Many Restrictions It is the avowed object of the Japanese to get the Chinese back to their homes and their occupations, but, if the avowal is sincere, it is being defeated by their every action. Rough treatment of pedestrians, refusal to issue passes to those temporarily resident in the French Concession, all manner of restrictions On the free movement of persons. vehicles and goods, destruction of (Continued on page 6)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.