UNITY IN THE BALKANS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 307, 27 December 1915, Page 5

UNITY IN THE BALKANS.

KEY TO BRITISH DIPLOMACY. PANIC SUGGESTIONS DEPLORED BLOCKADE POLICY PROVES EFFECTIVE. LONDON, December 26. Lord Robert Cecil (Under-Secretary to the Foreign Office), in replying to criticisms of the Foreign Office diplomacy, said that the suggestion by Greek statesmen that the Foreign Office had rejected Greece's alliance and assistance was absolutely without foundation. Of what may have happened before he joined the Government he should not speak, but the whole keynote of Sir Edward Grey's policy for years had been the desire to produce unity in the Balkans instead of discord. Complaints, he continued, had been made of tlie secrecy of the Foreign Office, but if those making these complaints were inside the Foreign Office for i week they would see that as long as Great Britain had to co-operate with foreign Powers it could not be done in the light of day. Secrecy was easily denounced and derided, but a measure of secrecy was absolutely essential. In referring to the blockade the speaker said that no linseed had been exported from Britain for months. It might be true that there were other oilbearing substances, which were exported in undue quantities. A vital matter that had to' be considered was that it was not GTeat Britain's policy to go to war with neutrals in order to effectively blockade Germany. They could only stop goods on the sea which they knew were going to Germany. It had been suggested, he said, that someone in the Foreign Office was under German influence. Those who made these suggestions were mere hysterical neurotics who, when things were not going right for the moment, turned to those who were trying to serve the country, saying, "You traitors! We are betrayed. You are friends of the enemy. That is why we are not succeeding." This disgraceful state of things ought to be stamped upon. A few months ago Sir Edward Grey was regarded as the representative of all that was best in our public life. Now some people tried, to blame him for our misfortunes.