WORLD PEACE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 70, 20 September 1937, Page 5

WORLD PEACE

NOT BY WEAKNESS

A STRONG BRITISH EMPIRE

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, September 19.

"It is essential for the peace of the world that the British Empire should jbe strong in every way and that there should be complete unity of action in applying her policy," said the Hon. M. F. Bruxner. Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport in New South Wales, who reached Auckland by the Aorangi today. Mr. Bruxner, who is accompanied by Mrs. Bruxner, is returning to Sydney after attending the Coronation.

I He said Britain's rc-annament programme was being applied'without depriving the people of any essentials and at the same time self-sufficiency was being built up. The co-operation of the Dominions was a point that had been fully discussed at the Imperial Conference, and in the case of New South Wales the Budget this year showed the largest expenditure on armament in the history of the State. This, he imagined, would be a general tendency.

"It is unfortunate that there has to be a return to re-armament, but I think it was inevitable and I do not believe it was ever possible for the League of Nations to achieve world peace all at once,"' he continued. The re-arma-ment of Britain had been welcomed the world over as being one of the greatest factors in keeping peace. Nobody wanted war, but the position had been complicated by the Eastern situation, and the happenings in China were a good lesson to New Zealand, Australia, and anyone else who advocated a policy that if they were 'good boys' nobody would touch them."

Referring to trade conditions, Mr. Bruxner said that preferential trade within the Empire was still on a favourable basis for agreements, but Britain was looking for as much reciprocity as was possible. Co-operation was a much-needed factor.