MENACE OF WAR

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 127, 11 March 1936, Page 5

MENACE OF WAR

) REARMING OF GERMANY. HUGE EXPENDITURE BY LOAN. MR. CHURCHILL’S GRAVE WORDS (United Press Association—Copyright.) (Recived This Day, 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, March 10. Taking part in the debate in the House of Commons on the White Paper on defence, Mr Winston Churchill said that the scale on which foreign rearmament was proceeding was prodigious. He had had financial statements as to how money had been secretly found among German financiers lor German rearmament in the three years Herr Hitler had been in power. In 1935 Germany had spent over £800,000,000. The money was r aised by internal borrowing and her resources had been mortgaged, even for four years ahead. Supposing the figure was only some £600,000,000, we should still be confronted with facts which were immeasurable in their consequences. The financial situation had become such that that could not go on indefinitely. .“A* terrible dilemma lies ahead of the most peaceful-minded Government in Germany,” said Mr Churchill. “If they go on there is bankruptcy; if they stop there is tremendous unemployment. The German Government will have to choose at no distant date between internal and external catastrophe. Can we doubt what course the man at the head of Germany will be likely to choose! Germany, we are told, Is not yet ready for war. Some say she is only half ready, yet we see that already they are the only nation in Europe unafraid of war. If what we have seen in the last few’ days is the mood of partially-armed Germany, imagine what it will be when the colossal preparations which are being made are approaching their zenith and when the limits of internal borrowing, already in sight, are reached. AY ars do not always wait till all the combatants are ready. “I fear, indeed, there may be a culminating point in the armaments history of Europe. I cannot tell when it will be reached, but certainly it will be reached in the lifetime of the present Parliament. It may pass off. Let us never accept the theory ol inevitable war, but neither let us blind our eyes to the remorseless march of events.” Mr Churchill urged the Government to create a skeleton Ministry of Munitions with a council of 10 or 12 selected business men. As regards the air Britain was spending, in the closing financial year, £29,000,000, compared with France’s £60,000,000, and Germany certainly far more. Flo urged an increase in the number of destroyers. The Royal Navy, especially after the recent toning-mp, unsurpassd throughout the world, was still the main bulwark of our security. • “If we are to meet the challenge ol totalitarian autocracies we must be prepared to make great changes on our system of defence, and to face heavy expenditure,” said Sir Samuel Hoare. “I believe Herr Hitler’s action was a blunder—l was going to say a crime, but Ido not wish to use hard words. 1 believe it shakes the whole foundation of international agreements. Therefore I agree with Mr Eden’s statement. Nevertheless, I hope that, we shall do our utmost to get a good result from an unfortunate act.” Ml- R, A. Cary (Conservative) urged that any scheme of defence should be an Empire scheme with, if the Dominions were agreeable, an Empire scheme of mobilisation. Mr J. McGovern (Labour) said: “If the Government puts arms into the hands of the working class, the working class’s duty should he to oveithrow capitalism—just as it is the duty of the German working class to remove Herr Hitler, General Goeriing, and Dr. Goebbels, who are the three greatest scoundrels the world has ever known.”

SPEECH COOLY RECEIVED. GENEVA HOPED FOR MORE FIRMNESS. LONDON, March 10. The Geneva correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that Mr Eden’s speech was coolly received. It was generally hoped that he would adopt a firmer attitude. It is pointed out that Germany having attained her immediate aim, in reoccupying the Rhineland and tearing up the Locarno Treaty has no interest in attacking either Fiance or Belgium at present. Air Eden’s statement that Britain will support France or Belgium in the event of such an attack is therefore regarded as outside the icalm of practical politics. THE DOMINIONS INFORMED, LONDON, March 9. After Mr Eden’s departure for iParis all the High Commissioners were received tc-night at Downing Street, where Britain’s attitude to the Rhineland situation was further explained. The Australian Associated Press understands that the British and Australian delegates at the League Council meeting will favour the condemnation of Germany’s unilateral denunciation of the Locarnc> Treaty, and, will emphasise that respect for freely negotiated treaties must be the basis for any attempt to rebuild European peace, but they will resist French or Belgian demands for any form of sanctions against Germany, because, although tlie treaty has been broken, aggression has not been committed.