TRENCHES SAFEST

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 63, 11 September 1937, Page 9

TRENCHES SAFEST

NEW WAR TECHNIQUE

POLICY OF T.U.C.

LABOUR AND DEFENCE

(United Press Association—By Electric

Telegraph—Copyright.)

(Received September 11. 10.20 a.m.)

LONDON, September 10.

The secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Sir Walter Citrine, moving the adoption at the annual conference of the foreign policy statement said that under the new technique of waging war without a declaration against civilians the safest place might be in the trenches. If the Fascists used their armed might there must be some deterrent. A cry might come from the general public that the limit of retreat had been reached and they might call on the Government to act. That cry was actually being raised now.

How could they escape the conclusion that some measure of re-arma-ment was indispensable if the country was to face its obligations? British Labour would not be indifferent to defence of their own shores. (Cheers.)

The policy was adopted on a card vote by 3,544,000 to 224,000.

I The declaration of the National Council of Labour outlines a twofold policy for peace. It proposes that Powers which entertain grievance." should be invited to state their case and should be offered, through the League of Nations, as all nations should be offered, a "new system of political security and of economic opportunity which will banish from international relations both the fear of war and legitimate economic grievances." This. new system, it adds, must, however,, form part of a general settlement which will relax the present international tension and hold out prospectsof an enduring peace. The other part of the policy requires that through the) League aggressors should be confront* ed with an emphatic superiority <a! armed force. The declaration insists that a British Government carryirjg out Labour's policy must be strongjy equipped to defend this country, 'to play its full part in collective securSy, and to resist any intimidation toy Fascist Powers, and that such a Government, until the change in the international situation caused by its advisnt had had its effect, would be unablq to reverse the present programme of, rearmament.