Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1935. PEACE AND DEFENCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 305, 8 October 1935, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1935. PEACE AND DEFENCE.

“Recent events have made it abundantly clear that the . known weaknesses of our defences have seriously impaired our influence for peace,” said Mr Neville Chamberlain in a speech in London. Other nations, he said, instead of following the British example, have been increasing- their armaments and with the consciousness of increased power has come a disinclination to listen to counsels of moderation. The-par-ticular danger to-day has developed largely from progress m aviation and inevitably to this danger the British - Government has given attention. In a speech in Wales some time ago Mr Baldwin dealt at length with the situation in Europe and the attitude of the Government.* His closing words manifested the deep anxiety of the Government. It was an easy matter to say, he declared, “I will have no armaments at all; we shall be all right.” But, he continued, if they knew what was going on; if they were in London; if they saw the millions of people there and thought of the women and children; if they knew that theirs was the responsibility as to whether any steps or none should be taken to .protect those people from what might happen, they might perhaps judge more kindly than they would have done the decision a stateman came to on whom the responsibility to protect those people did lie, and they would remember the fearful dilemma in which he was placed. He might hate, he said, the prospect of an increased air force as much as any of them did, but he had to ask himself might this, or might it not, make the difference to the lives of those people who put him in power to do his duty : If he decided that it was his diity to see that a greater deterrent was put up and that the way of the agressor was made harder, he appealed to them to remember the dilemma he as a statesman had had to face and to respect his decision, even though they might not agree with it. The events of the last few months have shown how far the world is from .the realisation' of the dream of permanent stable peace. The world must be taken as it is, even by enterprises for its betterment, To proceed regardless of the facts would be suicidal; ;ihd national preparedness against possible ruthless aggression is a duty that is owed not only to ourselves but to those who come after us. None can effectually deny the risk of assault.