Within two years there have been revolutions or acute social disorders in 19 countries, embracing more than half the population of the world.  Ten countries have been unable to meet their external obligations.  In 14 countries, embracing a quarter of the world’s population, former monetary standards have been temporarily abandoned.  In a number of countries there have been acute financial panics or compulsory restraints upon banking.  These disturbances have many roots in the dislocations from the World War.  Every one of them has reacted upon us.  They have sharply affected the markets and prices of our agricultural and industrial products.  They have increased unemployment and greatly embarrassed our financial and credit system.

As our difficulties during the past year have plainly originated in large degree from these sources, any effort to bring about our own recuperation has dictated the necessity of cooperation by us with other nations in reasonable effort to restore world confidence and economic stability.

Cooperation of our Federal reserve system and our banks with the central banks in foreign countries has contributed to localize and ameliorate a number of serious financial crises or moderate the pressures upon us and thus avert disasters which would have affected us.

The economic crisis in Germany and Central Europe last June rose to the dimensions of a general panic from which it was apparent that without assistance these nations must collapse.  Apprehensions of such collapse had demoralized our agricultural and security markets and so threatened other nations as to impose further dangers upon us.  But of highest importance was the necessity of cooperation on our part to relieve the people of Germany from imminent disasters and to maintain their important relations to progress and stability in the world.  Upon the initiative of this Government a year’s postponement of reparations and other intergovernmental debts was brought about.  Upon our further initiative an agreement was made by Germany’s private creditors providing for an extension of such credits until the German people can develop more permanent and definite forms of relief.

We have continued our policy of withdrawing our marines from Haiti and Nicaragua.

The difficulties between China and Japan have given us great concern, not alone for the maintenance of the spirit of the Kellogg-Briand Pact, but for the maintenance of the treaties to which we are a party assuring the territorial integrity of China.  It is our purpose to assist in finding solutions sustaining the full spirit of those treaties.

I shall deal at greater length with our foreign relations in a later message.

THE DOMESTIC SITUATION

Many undertakings have been organized and forwarded during the past year to meet the new and changing emergencies which have constantly confronted us.