BRITAIN AND PEACE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 26, 12 November 1935, Page 8

BRITAIN AND PEACE

STANDING BY OBLIGATIONS.

DUTY AS LEADER OF WORLD.

(United - Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, November 10. Sir Samuel Hoare in a speech at the Lord Mayor’s banquet, reviewed the events of the year and remarked that never had the citizens of London shown to greater advantage their loyalty and affection for that bond and symbol of Empire, the Crown, than in the period made illustrious by the Silver Jubilee, two Royal weddings and the birth of an infant prince. Dealing with the British Governments attitude in the face of the foreign crisis, Sir Samuel said: “We have given our word in the Covenant and are bound to keep it, we had raised our voices against the doctrine of force and we could not abandon the friends of peace. We had great influence in the world and it would have been a miserable abdication not to exert it. The opinion I was expressing was, and is, the opinion of the great majority of my fellow-countrymen. Soberly and steadfastly we intend to carry out our obligations wherever they exist and td strive for peace wherever peace is threatened. This is our policy. It is simple and clear. It has not changed since my .speech at Geneva nor will it change after the election. The obligations imposed strenuous commitments.” . . To defend the cause of peace, Britain mufet be able to defend herself to take full part in any collective action. There were gaps in the wall as the result of an honest and laudable desire to give the 'world a lead on the road toward disarmament. In the conditions of today the country could not allow those gaps to remain. Among the Governments of the world that were longing for peace, there was not one that would not heave a sigh of relief when they.saw the peaceful forces of the British Empire re-equip-ped for the the full performance of their duty to the world. . “Has any feature of this crisis beeii more remarkable than the solidarity o the British Empire? Never in the history of the Empire has there been greater unity in foreign politics,” concluded the Foreign Secretary.— British Official Wireless.