THE MINISTER'S SPEECH

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 148, 26 June 1925, Page 5

THE MINISTER'S SPEECH

INTERDEPENDENCE OF POWERS

ARMIES' EIGHT TO CROSS

TERRITORY,

(BEBTER'S TBLEGRASI.)

LONDON, 25th June.

In opening the debate on the Foreign Office estimates in the House of Commons, Mr. Austen Chamberlain, Secretary of State■■ for Foreign Affairs, emphasised that the policy outlined in the 1 White Paper respecting the proposed Security Pact was the policy of the united Cabinet. The Government de-' sired that the policy they pursued in matters of such consequence to Britain, the Empire, and the world should be the policy of all parties and the whole nation. .-They were endeavouring to conduct their foreign policy in the spirit 'of the Prime Minister's declaration that the Government's one object would | be stability, and continuity. All parties had only one object, to secure peace and ■ make war impossible, or at ' least as remote a danger as possible. No unilateral pact of the Allies against Germany 5 could now be contemplated by the British Government. The abstention of the British Empire, and Britain particularly, from European affairs had never served, and ■'■ never would serve, the interests of peace. Noi nation could isolate itself to-day, Mr. Chamberlain Eaid. >■ Anything seriously affecting the peace of Europe must affect every nation, belligerent or not. Our signature to the Covenant of the League was incompatible with, isolation. ■ Our safety lay, not in seeking impossible isolation, but in, the prudent use of our influence, and power to obtain peace and prevent . war. The Government' were of opinion that ifc was. impossible for the British"'Empire or Britain to undertake any universal extension of the obligations we.have already incurred as members of the League and signatories of- the Covenant, and therefore held that 1 the special needs of the moment must be met by special arrangements of a purely defensive character, framed in the spirit of the Covenant, and working in close harmony with the League, under its guidance. • ''„_ THE IMPLIED OBLIGATIONS Mr. Chamberlain emphasised that no treaty or draft treaty existed; there was merely a. preliminary statement of what the different countries felt it wouiu be possible for them to undertake, and in what direction they thought they could make an advance. Our new obligations would be definitely limited to the frontier between Germany on the one side and France and Belgium on the other, and our guarantee of the frontier could riot be invoked by a wrongdoer to shield him in wrong-doing. Our guarantee beCiftne effective only if, in defiance of the treaties o£ arbitration and the obligations of the Covenant, a wrongdoer resorted to, force. The guarantee then would become immediately effective. If one of the parties refused to arbitrate or carry out an arbitration award, our guarantee could not be invoked to protect him, though if he did that, and no more, we retained our liberty, subject to our obligations under the Covenant, to decide what action we should take. Dealing with tho question of the eastern frontiers of Germany, Mr. Chamberlain said that if, for example, Germany, in violation of arbitration, attacked Poland, article 16 of the Covenant came into play immediately, and France -would be entitled to treat this as an act of war against France •■ but Britain in such a case would have no obligations other than those already in- I ciimbenfc on her by yirtuo of our signature to .the Covenant. '. If, on the other hand, Poland similarly attacked Germany, neither France nor Britain ! had any obligations .whatever except those contained in' Article 16 arid other articles of the Treaty. | STEP TOWARDS DISARMAMENT] The whole plan was a very largel step towards disarmament, by remov- ' ing the fear' of war, Mr. Chamberlain proceeded. Europe was still ranged :nto two hostile camps, and the dangers of , a new struggle wer6 increasing. ' Now. perhaps the last opportunity was open. The situation had been sensibly altered' by an exchange of views in a conciliatory spirit, in which had occurred, for example, France's spontaneous decision to evacuate the Ruhr before the fixed date. The proposals offered a great and happy prospect of a better and more peaceful world, but they would come to nothing unless Britain co-operated. He earnestly pleaded' with his countrymen to co-operate in carrying out, as a national policy the proposals on which he believed the peace of the world depended, and for the sake of future generations to show ourselves worthy of. our great traditions.