NOTABLE TRIBUTE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 141, 11 December 1935, Page 16

NOTABLE TRIBUTE

TO MR. HENDERSON

The Bishop of Birmingham, Dr. Barnes, who was unable to be present at the memorial service at Birmingham Parish Church for Mr. Arthur Henderson recently owing to his doctors having forbidden him to go out, sent the following message, says the "Manchester Guardian":—

From time to time we in Birmingham have memorial services for men who have been to the fore in our national life. It is right that we should commemorate Arthur Henderson. He was a typical Englishman, a man of the people with no advantages of birth or fortune. He was religious. He sprang from the Methodist movement, and to Methodism he gave loyal allegiance during his whole life. He was able.- Just as Carnot earned the proud title of organiser of victory of the French Republic, so Henderson deserved to be called the organiser of victory of the Labour Party.

But he was far more than a party organiser. He was a statesman of uncommon quality, who foresaw the dangers of the future and was prepared to set aside-all lesser aims if he could secure the peace of the world. He realised that permanent peace was impossible without disarmament. He became the apostle of disarmament to the nations of the earth. He failed. Why? Jealousy, fear, suspicion got the upper hand. Our own Government refused to give up the use of the bombing aeroplane, "and by ending Free Trade with the Crown colonies made the British Empire suspect by the hungry nations—Germany, Italy, Japan. ■ I Henderson failed. So we are rearming. We are entering on .the broad path that leadeth to destruction. Prepare for war and-you will get war. Only if we can throw up a succession of statesmen who wttT'carry Henderson's ideals, to victory is there any safety for our children and pur children's children. If Henderson's ideals are lost Western civilisation will perish beneath the senseless savagery of scientific war. I wish that I could be with you today to thank God for Henderson and his work, and to pray that other great men may arise to follow in his steps.