COUNCIL OF ACTION

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 144, 14 December 1935, Page 18

COUNCIL OF ACTION

ITS AIMS DEFINED

LLOYD GEORGE SPEAKS

In a speech interspersed with criticisms of the National Government, Mr. Lloyd George recently outlined the aims at the election of the Council of Action for peace and reconstruction, says the "Daily Telegraph." Addressing a message arranged by the Council at Kingsway Hall, he declared that if they helped to carry out the council's programme they would alter the whole face of this country and give a new lead to the world. The council's programme was an amalgamation \oi the results and recommendations reached by two absolutely independent groups. "They are not a patchwork of platitudes hurriedly patched together in view of a General Election, like a manifesto which I read two or three days ago," he added. There was an outburst of cheering, and Mr. Lloyd George, with his famiiar smile and wag of the finger, said, "Forgive me. That is the old man coming out. It will be out again probably." Mr. Lloyd George said that they had put a questionnaire to every candidate whose name they were able to secure. He continued:— "We are getting favourable answers from, a great many Liberals, and Labour men, and from quite a number of Nationalists. ' "Soon I hope to have a fine array of candidates who have accepted our * programme. The names will be pub-

Wished a day- or -two after "they, ha ye ] been.received.l..:.. ...:..!..... . . - | , "We shall invite, the electors of this J country to,support the candidates who j have given iavourable answers without reference'to the party to which they belong. We shall do our best to help their return. / ' ..•'.■ "A RUSH." ':■ "Everything : has been done to rush the electorate,' and limit their opportunities for reflection. I think that was a grave mistake." It was sad to think that .when Sir Samuel Hoare and ■ Mr. Eden ! were fighting at Geneva they had practically a unanimous country behind ' theni, but that when they returned to Geneva this week the nation would have been split into warring factions. "Can you .think of any, Minister of the past, of any party, who would have done that sort of thing recklessly and lig'htheartedly in the midst-of a crisis? Not one of them would ever have done 'it.;'--'1: ■ :.-■■.■'■•. : : "There is no .man to whom the1 National Government owes more- than Lord Sriowden> the man who by balancing the' Budget, put an end to the financial crisis. ;• Now you have the intervention- of; the' Government to preventhim—a.man.notfit to go on platforms' because of:his health —from going to the 8.8.C. and talking to the people of this country. 'On the ' international situation Mr. Lloyd George contended that the nations had not been brought together yet on sanctions. • "We waited until Mussolini had completed the whole of his arrangements for conquest. We waited until he had massed and landed on the shores of Africa the largest army that has ever invaded that 'continent. We waited until he had made all the necessary arrangements to thwart and frustrate economic sanctions. "Sanctions won't prevent guns,' munitions, aeroplanes, bombs, or any of the war material or any troops passing from Italy to reinforce the attack. They are passing freely now. "We are supplying Italy through the Anglo-Persian Oil Company—of which we are, I think, the largest shareholders —with the oil used in her bombing aeroplanes: : "The Anglo-Persian Oil Company might say, 'If we do not supply it the Americans would.' The great oil magnates are verj} powerful. When shall we have a Government that will stand up to people of that sort?" "PRESTIGE GONE." "Our prestige will be gone because we have been defied with the whole of the League of Nations behind us. Sanctions too late; sanctions ineffective. They will not stop the advance of Mussolini's army by one hour; they will not save one Ethiopian life; our prestige in the South, gone. ; "We are now abandoning this poor coloured race, defending its mountains in Africa. What do you think our fellow coloured subjects in the Empire, numbering hundreds of millions, will think of our prestige? The fate of 'the Empire depends upon having a Government that can stand up for some principle of fair play, for white and coloured races alike." Referring to Britain's unemployment problem, Mr. Lloyd George said: j "We ought to have action which is j equal to the magnitude of the problem." After describing the conditions in which the unemployed lived in the distressed areas he said, "Now you iknow why an old fellow like me has 'joined a Council of Action in his sevI enty-third year. "I want you to return men who will make it absolutely certain that the Government cannot shirk action: for another four years as they have done in the last four years. : "Before you talk of rearmaments, let

us call the nations of the earth together once more, to see whether this mad rush of arms; which is plunging us over the precipice into a more agonising chasm than the one which we have extricated ourselves from, cannot be stopped. "Let us stop it now before it has gone too far; let us have a great conference of the nations; let us see if we cannot substitute for the flaming sword of Moloch the sceptre of the Prince of Peace."