MISERY OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 41, 12 November 1936, Page 11

MISERY OF WAR

Rearmament is Necessary, But a Folly

SPEECH BY MR. BALDWIN

(British Official Wireless.)

Rugby, November 10.

The Prime Minister, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, concluded his review of home and foreign affairs in his speech at last night’s Mansion House banquet with a warning and an appeal to the nations. “War to-day,” he said, “would mean untold misery, beside which the misery of the last war was happiness.” The rearmament of Europe, he said, was an “inconceivable folly for those of us who have responsibilities of governing the great countries of Europe If the nations devote for too long their care to arms and forget the conditions of their people there will be discontent and despair. If armaments are continued. I do not say they will mean war, but they will make war more likely. Everyone in Europe knows that war in the long run means degradation of the life of the people and in the end anarchy and world revolution. Knowing that, what can our duty be but to come together and save Europe? In this island home of ours we are looking now to our defences. And quite right, too. 1 am prepared to devote all our efforts, whatever if may cost in men and money, to do what is necessary, but I am conscious all the time of the folly to all of us. The Government is ready and anxious to embrace any opportunity to etop the growth of arms.”