PREMIER CERTAIN WE CANNOT FAIL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 266, 10 November 1939, Page 8

PREMIER CERTAIN WE CANNOT FAIL.

OPTIMISTIC SPEECH.

Read By Sir John Simon At Mansion House. MR. CHAMBERLAIN INDISPOSED British Official Wireless. (Received 1 p.m.) RUGBY, Xovember 9. In his speech to have been delivered at the Mansion House, which was read by Sir John Simon owing to his suffering from an acute attack of gout, Mr. Chamberlain referred to The Hague peace offer. "Everyone," he said, "will appreciate the lofty motives which actuated the two Sovereigns in thus offering their good offices in the hope of avoiding a further extension of the war. I confess I am not very hopeful of a satisfactory response from Hitler in view of past experience. Nevertheless, we do not want, to continue a day longer than necessary if a satisfactory settlement can be obtained in another way. "In due course it Mill be the Government's duty to tender to His Majesty our advice as to the nature of the reply he should make, but before we can do so it will naturally be necessary for us t<> consult the Dominions and our friends and Allies who are standing shoulder to shoulder with us in the struggle." Position Strengthened. Speaking of tlie war itself, which to many seemed to be rather a sort of siege, the Premier said, "We do not know how long this phase will last, or whether at any moment it may not be changed into violent conflict, but we call see at any rate that the position of the Allies ha», as the weeks have gone by, rather strengthened than deteriorated. "The treaty which we and our French Allies concluded with Turkey will be a powerful instrument for peace in Southwestern Kurope. On the other hand the German-Soviet pact gained indeed great advantages for the Soviet, but brought only humiliation and loss for Germany. "Repeal of the United States Xeutrality Act is a momentous event, for while it affords America a means of maintaining her neutrality, it re-opens for the Allies the doors of the greatest storehouse of supplies in the world." Proceeding, Mr. Chainlierlain said, "We have no reason to regret that up to the present, while we are still strengthening our defences and building up our j/ower, there have l>een no ma jor battles. We have, indeed, suffered losses, and we mourn with sorrow and yet with pride the brave men who have given their lives for tlieir country, but we may lie thankful our successes in hunting down submarines, and in numerous conflicts in the air, have as yet been unclouded by the terrible casualty lists that were only too familiar to us in the last Great War, and we may be proud of the fact that the British Expeditionary Force lias been transported to France without the loss of a single man or a single piece of equipment. Criticisms Answered. "Indeed, the efficiency of all our three services has already proved such as to inspire us with confidence in their ability to meet any task which may be given them in the future." After answering certain criticisms, of wliioh, he implied, less would have been heard if the first phase of the war had been of the violent character generally anticipated, the Premier said that despite such criticism what stood out before everything was the essential and the fundamental unity of the British people. "With that unity, with the unity of the Empire, and with the complete and cordial understanding of our French Ally, with such spirit and such slipporters and Allies, we know, we cannot fail, and I cherish the firm conviction that we shall live to see the foundation laid of a new world in which freedom and humanity will have superseded oppression and the rule of force."