PLETHORA OF PROBLEMS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 127, 31 May 1934, Page 19

PLETHORA OF PROBLEMS

Sir Austen Chamberlain, speaking at the annual meeting of the "West Birmingham Division Unionist Association, referred to the fact that in another month's time he would have put in 42 years' service in the House of Commons, and, before the summer was over, 20 years' service as member for West Birmingham. He hoped that for a few years more to come the constituency and his name in the person of his father and of himself would continue to be linked with the closest and most affectionate tie. Sir Austen said that the success which had attended the National Government tended to make persons think that the danger was over, and that they could relax into their old party strife. Ho looked back upon tho sacrifices which were made by every class in the community and said that no party acting by itself or in tha mere party spirit could impose those sacrifices upon the people or have induced the people willingly ana eagerly to make them. "When, he scanned the world at large lio said, -with ki3 long experience V>onin<L nxm, that he had never known more problems ot more Intricate and difficult problems crowding upon the attention of Governments and requiring not merely resolution in the Government, but national support to give the Government the strength to deal with them. Referring to the suggestion that Great Britain should not concern herself with the Continent, Sir Austen said that if it were known on the Continent that Great Britain, henceforth would disown all interests in the Continent and let the Continent go its own way and fight is own battles, who was there to say that the nations of the Continent would not some day decide that after all they could get more profit out of caTving up the British Empire than ever they could get in fighting among themselves.

Attempts to put out a fire, which broke out in a 20,000-ton dump of steam coal at a colliery in Claekmannanehire, Scotland, two and a half years ago have failed. It is expected that the conflagration will lcpn4initte--TmtiMo3oj " '.