WORLD AFFAIRS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22194, 10 September 1937, Page 10

WORLD AFFAIRS

Mr Eden’s Survey In Parliament LESSON FROM SPANISH WAR (raoM ova ovra coebespokdekt.) LONDON, July 21. “Within a few days of the parliamentary holiday, as we survey the world, the outlook is not wholly bad. There are storm clouds, but there arc patches of clear sky,” said Mr Anthony Eden, Foreign Secretary, in the peroration of a speech upon world affairs in the House of Commons this week. “On the whole, the atmosphere is less tense and lowering than it was 12 months ago. The mere fact that Europe has endured for 12 months the strains

and stresses and the sudden jars and constantly returning crises of this Spanish conflict, without the whole of Europe- being involved in its consequences, surely affords a cause of modified hope. “There has been a measure of inter national co-operation, however uncertain its working or however incomplete its success. None of the nations, some of them violently partisan to one side or the other in the Spanish conflict, in truth desired that the flames should spread. It may be, also, that the conflict in Spain has enforced another lesson. In modern warfare a quick victory is not to be easily won The very fact that warfare to-day is not fought out between small, highly trained professional armies,, but involves the whole population and their lives and their homes, at once widens its duration. No one to-day can hope to reap advantage from a long war. “There is a further difference between the years before 1914 and to-day In those years most people found it hard to believe in the possibility of a world war. and even those whose apprehensions were most acute greatly underrated its scope and its duration To-day we know more of the monster, and this should help us to control and counter it. No man in his senses can want to see it unleashed. “Therefore, though the loan of international anxiety remains heavy, and there can be no lasting confidence until an international organisation with world membership is entrusted with

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the arbitration of our differences the solution of our disputes, yet I to-day with a greater measure of than was possible a year ago. that nations of Europe will yet their quarrels and that peace will” preserved.”