WHY EXPECT WAR?

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 47, 19 November 1936, Page 11

WHY EXPECT WAR?

Prophecy of Despair Deprecated WORLD CONFLICT NOT INEVITABLE Britain Disbelieves In Such Talk (British Official Wireless.» Rugby. November 17. Speaking at the Foreign Press Association luncheon in London, the First Lord of tlie Admiralty, Sir Samuel Hoare, said: “One of the resounding prophecies that some people are making to-day is that, a world war is inevitable. I am here to say to you as representatives of most of the newspapers of the world I hat this is not the view of the British Government. We refuse to accept this prophecy of despair, as it is a dangerous and pathological prophecy. lite British Government is determined to take every action in its power to make a prophecy of that kind impossible of fruition. We are determined to throw into the scales of petice all the Influences at our disposal.” Proceeding, be said that: Britain did not attempt to impose her views upon other countries. She was perfectly ready in future, as in the past, to make friends witli Governments whose systems she might think totally inapplicable to this country, and, indeed, altogether opposed to British public opinion. Referring to rearmament, he said (hat Britain had been lagging in the field of military defence and there had been gaps in the national equipment. Every effort was now being made to close them up. It was necessary that the Government should have all possible power of military defence and that: the country should re-equip itself to take its full part in the world Britain threatened no one in her preparations.