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Press Releases, vol. XIX, p. 219
Press Release Issued by the
Department of State On September 26, 1938
The President this morning sent the following
message direct to the President of Czechoslovakia and the Chancelor of Germany
and through the Secretary of State to the Prime Ministers of Great Britain and
France:
"The fabric of peace on the continent of
Europe, if not throughout the rest of the world, is in immediate danger. The
consequences of its rupture are incalculable. Should hostilities break out the
lives of millions of men, women and children in every country involved will
most certainly be lost under circumstances of unspeakable horror.
"The economic system of every country
involved is certain to be shattered. The social structure of every country
involved may well be completely wrecked.
"The United States has no political
entanglements. It is caught in no mesh of hatred. Elements of all Europe have
formed its civilization.
"The supreme desire of the American
people is to live in peace. But in the event of a general war they face the
fact that no nation an escape some measure of the consequences of such a world
catastrophe.
"The traditional policy of the United
States has been the furtherance of the settlement of international disputes by
pacific means. It is my conviction that all people under the threat of war
today pray that peace may be made before, rather than after, war.
"It is imperative that peoples
everywhere recall that every civilized nation of the world voluntarily assumed
the solemn obligations of the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 to solve
controversies only by pacific methods. In addition, most nations are parties to
other binding treaties obligating them to preserve peace. Furthermore, all
countries have today available for such peaceful solution of difficulties which
may arise, treaties of arbitration and conciliation to which they are parties.
"Whatever may be the differences in the controversies
at issue and however difficult of pacific settlement they may be, I am
persuaded that there is no problem so difficult or so pressing for solution
that it cannot be justly solved by the resort to reason rather than by the
resort to force.
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"During the present crisis the people of
the United States and their Government have earnestly hoped that the
negotiations for the adjustment of the controversy which has now arisen in
Europe might reach a successful conclusion.
"So long as these negotiations continue
so long will there remain the hope that reason and the spirit of equity may
prevail and that the world may thereby escape the madness of a new resort to
war.
"On behalf of the 130 millions of people
of the United States of America and for the sake of humanity everywhere I most
earnestly appeal to you not to break off negotiations looking to a peaceful,
fair, and constructive settlement of the questions at issue.
"I earnestly repeat that so long as
negotiations continue, differences may be reconciled. Once they are broken off
reason is banished and force asserts itself.
"And force produces no solution for the
future good of humanity.
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT