PEACE AIMS OF ALLIES

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22883, 2 December 1939, Page 14

PEACE AIMS OF ALLIES

EARLY CONSIDERATION URGED BRITAIN’S RELATIONS WITH NEUTRALS CBStTiaa ovriouL wibeiyess.) (Received December 1, 7.5 p.m.) RUGBY, November 30. It was no exaggeration to say that the Survival of civilisation in Europe depended on close and continuous co-operation between France and Britain, said Dr. Hugh Dalton (Labour), continuing the Address-in-Re-ply debate in the House of Commons. He hoped that the closer economic co-operation recently achieved might be only the first step in a still wider scheme in which other countries might participate. Urging early consideration in consultation with the French Government and the Dominions of the character of the Allies’ peace aims so that if the war should be shorter than was expected, they would not be caught unprepared for the building of a peace which would endure, Dr. Dalton endorsed the Prime Minister’s reference in the debate on Tuesday to the avoidance of vindictive terms. They should let the German peoples know that after the war they desired a free civilised Germany taking her place in a free civilised Europe, a? a good neighbour. .That might lead sooner than some expected to the liquidation of the Nazi system and its bloody instrument, the Gestapo. He advocated, as part of a framework for peace, that there should be in designating the new Europe of which Mr Chamberlain had spoken, some provision for the abatement of national sovereignty. Definition of Aims The Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr R. A. Butler), replying, said that during the last war Lord Grey had defined the aims of British diplomacy in war-time as first, the preservation of Allied solidarity, and second; the maintenance of relations with neutral countries. In the present conflict. Great Britain and France had not only maintained Allied solidarity, but had made Allied unity. Britain had also maintained with success her relations with neutrals. “Our obligations in this respect are greater in this war than in the last because there are more neutrals,” said Mr Butler. The British Government understood the difficulties faced by neutrals and desired to spare them as far as was consistent with the primary objective of exercising belligerent rights and winning the war. The Government understood the hardships that neutral countries were suffering, and in the interpretation of the new reprisals would attempt to spare them as much as possible. Having mentioned that the application of the hew measures against enemy exports would be conducted by the Enemy Export < Committee, under the chairmanship of Lord Justice du Parcq, he referred to evidence of the extent to which neutrals understood the British position and appreciated the radical difference between Britain’s policy and the German policy of illegally sinking neutral ships at sight. Negotiations In Progress Giving a review of the country’s relations with other States, Mr Butler said Britain was more closely allied with France, both in thought and action, than ever before. To the Polish Government they could look for valuable consideration and support. Mr Butler referred also to a statement issued by the Polish PrimeMinister (General Sikorski) and the Czech representatives after conversations in London, on; close collaboration between those two victims of German aggression. The British Government realised the importance of those conversations and regarded them as a happy augury for the future. He welcomed the arrival in London of the Secretary-General of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, accompanied by representatives of the Turkish finance and commerce ministries and the Central Bank of Turkey, to discuss political and economic questions, following the closer relations that had been brought about between Britain and Turkey. He hoped the conversations would result in the moving of obstacles which at present might appear to prevent British-Turkish trade reaching the level it,might and ought to reach. Mr Butler also assured Dr. Dalton that the needs of countries in Southeastern Europe were ever present in the mind of His Majesty’s Government. In particular, any opportunity to develop trade with Greece Would be taken, and this was under active consideration. Turkey and Bulgaria His Majesty’s Government welcomed the recent decision of the Turkish and Bulgarian Governments to reduce the number of their troops in. frontier regions. That had diminished the tension and he hoped it would lead to a renewal of confidence between those two counAfter expressing gratification at the Portuguese Premier’s reaffirmation before the National Assembly of Portuguese loyalty to the old alliance, -Mr Butler said that relations with Italy were friendly. War-time conditions inevitably made difficulties which the British Government would do its best to see interfered with legitimate Italian interests as little as possible. He hoped that the joint economic committee recently set up would result in; an improvement of British-Italian trade and in mutual advantage to both countries. A British commercial delegation had recently, left for Spain and he hoped that as a result of the negoti- , ationg,:taking place in Spahuthe task oft improving relations and trade with that country would be successful. . The message, of King Farouk at the opening of the Egyptian Parlia■mentary session illustrated the common aims of Egypt and ourselves in the effort of this war, said Mr Butler.. He mentioned Egypt’s, loss of substantial markets for her raw cotton in, .Germanyi Czechoslovakia and Poland. He described a proposal for buying up the crop to a given maximum if and where the price fell below a given level.'.