POSITIVE ACTION

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 71, 25 March 1938, Page 11

POSITIVE ACTION

OPPOSITION COUNSEL

PILING UP OF ARMS

LABOUR CRITICISM

(Received March 25, noon.)

LONDON, March. 24.

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. C. R.:Attlee, commenting in the House of Commons on the foreign policy statement, said that Mr. Chamberlain did not seem to realise the gravity of the situation and the need for positive and not mere negative action for peace. Mr, "Chamberlain's policy at best meant only a postponement of war. He had left Britain and the world in the same situation as in 1914.

Mr. Attlee expressed amazement at Mr. Chamberlain's credulity and asked why he placed reliance on the assur-' ances of Signor Mussolini, who was still intervening in Spain. The Government had not attempted to make the League of Nations work. The Labour Party stood by <the League Covenant. Mr. Chamberlain's one idea seemed to be to pile up arms. The country needed a positive, policy for peace and the tackling of the economic causes underlying world unrest.

The Liberal Leader, Sir Archibald Sinclair, declared that it should be made clear to Herr, Hitler that if Czechoslovakia was the victim of unprovoked aggression and France fulfilled her pledges to Czechoslovakia, as undoubtedly she would, Britain would support France.

Mr. Winston Churchill (Conservative) described Mr. Chamberlain's speech as a very fine one, setting out how to prevent war. "Our arrangements with France for mutual defence evidently amount to a defensive alliance," he said. "Why not say so? Why not have a plan worked out and pre-

cisely proclaim it? ■ Then you will have a great deterrent against aggression." Mr. Churchill expressed the opinion that Mr. Chamberlain had gone a long way towards making- a commitment in regard to Czechoslovakia, He was thankful for that, but suggested' that a bold course might be safer. He advocated a limited pledge tfrat. Britain would act with France if Germany marched against Czechoslovakia. , "If we don't stand up against the dictators now we shall have to stand up against them in more adverse circumstances," he declared.