BRITAIN’S CALM.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 138, 23 March 1935, Page 5

BRITAIN’S CALM.

PEACEMAKER IN EUROPE. PRAISE BY GENERAL SMUTS. (United Press Association—Copyright). CAPE TOWN, March 22. After a visit of more than six weeks the delegates to the Empire Press Union's conference completed their tour to-day, the last stages embracing ! Durham, Basutoland, East London, Port Elizabeth and the famous garden route to Cape Town. The majority of the delegates embarked on the Winchester Castle today for London, but Mr Geddes (New Zealand) embarked on the Ulysses for Australia.

The final function was a farewell dinner by the visiting delegates to their hosts. The Governor-General and leading South Africans were present. General Smuts, replying to the toast of South Africa, said that although it > was late, perhaps not too late, to bring peace and sanity to- Europe, agreat deal had happened in the last few weeks to cause fresh anxiety and rouse further suspicions, hut he saw nothing to make them turn back from the great experiment of organising peace. Two years ago Germany was more than pleased to get an army of 300,000 from the Powers. Now she had taken double that number without asking. He was deeply grateful that the British Government was remaining perfectly calm despite what had happened in Berlin. Britain was the one Power left in the Old World with suf r ficient influence and moral prestige to undertake the .task of peacemaker in Europe, and he was sure it was not beyond her.