VISIONS OF 1914

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 183, 1 May 1933, Page 9

VISIONS OF 1914

Germany’s Menace to Peace

VISCOUNT GREY’S FEARS

official Wireless. Rugby, April 28. Viscount. Grey, who was Foreign Secretary in 1914. reviewed some current world problems, with particular reference to recent events in Germany, in an address to delegates after his re-elec-tion to-day as President of the Liberal Council. At the outset he expressed warm approval of the step taken by the Prime Minister in accepting President Roosevelt's invitation. The meeting between President Roosevelt and Mr. MacDonald had been a meeting between two men of the utmost goodwill, who had a real desire to see tlie world relieved. Referring to Germany, he said lie could not help feeling very depressed at what bad happened there lately. What would anyone feel if at this moment Germany was as powerfully armed as she was in 1914? he asked. The peace of Europe would be regarded as most insecure. Safe Because Disarmed. “The great security of peace now is that Germany is not armed, and not in a position to go to war." continued Viscount Grey. “Tbe whole trend of her policy and tlie trend of her mentality has been to shock British opinion, which after the war was undoubtedly in many ways sympathetic with Germany. “We felt that Germany, though defeated. was a great nation, great in science and music, and some of tlie great men we honoured were not only Germans, but also Jews. Suddenly there comes this attack on tlie Jews, showing that Germany was not prepared to give them even tolerance. Our efforts after the war tended to create a peaceful feeling, but to-day tbe situation has tremendously disappointed public feeling in this country. The Hand of Peace. “A few mouths ago a speech such as that Sir Austen Chamberlain made in the House of Commons recently would not have commanded the universal assent it diil command. I associate myself with what he said, and what tbe whole House of Commons endorsed. “Wo cannot make concessions or hold out Hie band of peace continually unless that gesture is to lie reciprocated. The present moment is not one at which we can go on with tlie same .policy we would have pursued in the case of Herr Stresemann and Dr. Bruening. “We want peace, but it seems to me we have come to a point when tbe British Government must rely upon the League of Nations in standing by public covenants and treaties.”