BRITISH POLICY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 121, 16 February 1920, Page 7

BRITISH POLICY

SPEECH BY ME, BALFOUR. London, February 13. Mr. A. J. Balfour, speaking in the House-of Commons, declared that neither Allied nor German experts were able to estimato what Germany would bo able to pay ton or fifteen years hence. Tho! Treaty provided that Germany might offer a _ lump sum within four months. • The British Government had always been most anxious to .carefully limit its list of war criminals, but it was not able to examine other lists. Tho British list included nobody who had carried out illegal orders, unless lie had exceeded such orders. Ho sympathised with tho diffi-. cult position of M. Clemenceau, who approved the British point of view, but who was unable to escape the inclusion of persons guilty of individual crimes. Mr. Balfour said he believed that no colours wcro too dark in which to paint a great part of Europe; but the deplorable situation was not due to tho Trenty, but was the outcome of the war, and of the application of the principle of selfdetermination, in which new States wero refusing to co-operate with their neighbours. Mr. Balfour denied that Britain was in any way responsible for the delayed Turkish peace. He considered that the suggested intervention of the League of Nations in regard to Russia would be of no avail, because its leading members had already unsuccessfully tried to discover a solution at tho Peace Conference. Broadly speaking, said Mr. Balfour, the reason why Europe lacked so many fundamental necessaries at present was that labour produced much less than before the war, and credit had been shattered. A great amelioration in the condition of Europe might be possible if the countries which tho war had left richer than before—(cheers)—fully assisted. Britain's greatest contribution to tho solution would bo to maintain intact and build up her great industrial system, around which tho whole security of Europe really revolved.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable A6sn.

MR. CHURCHILL ON THE RED PERIL. (Roc. February 15, 11.40 p.m.) London, February 15. The Secretary of State for War, Mr. Winston Churchill, speakinpf at Dundee, emphasised the fact that we were bound to help tho anti-Bolsheviks. Tt was a question of honouring our promises. Ho was profoundly convinced that tho Allies would ultimately profoundly rue the fact that they did not take more decided action to crush the Red peril. He advocated mailing an early peace with Turkey. hems' careful not to trample on Mohammedan principles. Ho declared that there were no differences between the Coalition nnd the Independent Liberals justifying a division which miirlit ed in" the rule of Socialists. Ho was surprised thai: the Labour Partv was in love with Bolshevism. The proletariat of Russia was ruled by a gang of miscreants. and the Government should not begin friendly relations with them, ne expressed the oninion that Bolshevism would brine much evil to Britain. France and the United States. If Labour were united and strong enough to govern, it would simply becomo a class, party fighting in class interests, and its doctrines would be disastrous to the prosnerity and mi'ity of the Empire—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.