MENACE OF WAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 89, 12 October 1938, Page 10

MENACE OF WAR

PROBLEM IN BRITAIN

EFFECT ON ELECTIONS

"If the war issue can be eliminated in the next year or two, there will be a General Election in 1940 in England, and the main issue, as in New Zealand at the present time, will be 'Capital or Labour?'" said the Marquess of Lothian, during an interview last night, states today's "New Zealand Herald."

Lord Lothian continued that the great difference between the political situations in New Zealand and England was that in England the domestic controversy between Socialism and individualism, the centre of the_Dominion election at present, had been completely overshadowed in the last three or four, years by the problem of war. Everybody was so preoccupied with the menace of war that political aspects took second place.

"They have between 5000 and 8000 hostile aeroplanes within 150 to 200 miles of London," he said. "Consequently the electorates are far more concerned with the international situation than anything else, and elections have been fought very largely upon the question of international policy."

Lord Lothian said that all Empire Governments received the fullest information from the British Government. It was observed at the recent British Commonwealth Relations Conference in Australia that the point on which the Dominions differed was the extent to which any Dominion, on the basis of information received from Britain, felt inclined to tender advice to the British Government.

Some held, he continued, they should tender their views more vigorously than they had. Others, notably Canada, refused to express an opinion on any occasion, because they did not want to feel in any way committed to the results of the policy. They desired a free hand so that, if a crisis came, they could decide what they should do without having taken any part in formulating the decisions beforehand.