MOMENTOUS DAYS

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 248, 19 October 1928, Page 7

MOMENTOUS DAYS

FOR WAR OR PEACE.

Lord Morley's Memoirs Recall

Fatal Decisions.

DRAMATIC REVELATIONS.

(Australian and N.Z. Pnn Association.)

(Received 1.30 p.m.)

LONDON, October 18,

The late Lord Morley in his ''Memorandum on Resignation," published by Macmillans, made a dramatic revelation of his attitude towards prominent Liberals on the eve of the World War, explaining why he and Mr. John Burns resigned when British intervention was certain.

When Viscount Grey, Foreign Secretary, warned Cabinet that a general European question was involved and England could not afford to efface herself, as sooner or later she would be dragged in, the War Cabinet began to take sides.

"Lulu" Harcourt organised opinion favour of neutrality, which Lord Morlejf says was met by a counter-move openly worked with the best demonic energy of Winston, the strenuous simplicity of Grey, the sourdement of the Lord Chancellor (Lord -Haldane) and by Asquith seeing and waiting.

It was calculated that eight or nine men in the Cabinet were likely to agree with the no-war group.

"On one of these days," adds Lord Morley, "I tapped Winston on the shoulder as he sat next to me and said 'Winston, we have beaten you after all.' He smiled cheerfully, as well he might."

Mr. Lloyd George furnished Cabinet with information that the bankers of the city and the industrial leaders were aghast at the idea of war, saying it would cause credit to collapse.

"When I pressed this Important prospect later in the debate Lloyd George said, rather tartly, that he had never said he believed it."

Walking from Cabinet John Burns pressed Lord Morley's arm and said, with vehement emphasis, "Now mind, we look to you to stand firm."

"John Burns in Cabinet on Saturday evening himself took the lead to good purpose and intimated in the most downright tones that Britain's warning to Germany not to try it on against the French coasts or ships in the Channel was more than he could stand, not only because it was practically a declaration of war on the sea, leading inevitably to war on the land, but mainly because it was the symbol of an alliance with France, with whom there was no such understanding hitherto.

"Lloyd George's motives were a riddle. He knew his stock was dangerously low and that peace might be a popular eard against Winston's adventurous energy and break up the Government party. This might well make any man pause. The truth was the Liberal party was already shattered.

"On the eve of the mistake of his life Lloyd George let him and others do what they would. For me there was no choice."

When Lord Morley said he must go with Mr. Burns, Asquith asked him to sleep on it. Lord Morley answered: "'Of course I will.' I left him trying to deal with John Burns in vain."

Next day Lloyd George told Lord Morley the news that Germany was bullying Belgium. This changed his and Mr. Walter Runciman's view.