HITLER ANSWERED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 71, 25 March 1939, Page 10

HITLER ANSWERED

WAR AND TRADE

ANGLO-GERMAN POLICY

EXCLUSION IDEA

Viscount Halifax, Foreign Secretary, speaking at Hull on February 3 replied to passages in Herr Hitler's speech in. the Reichstag the previous week. He said: "Herr Hitler declared the other* day that the German nation must live—that is, he said they must export or die. No doubt this is true of Germany; it is certainly true of the United Kingdom But what is quite untrue is his statement that the war was waged,to exclude Germany from world trade' (states the 'Daily Telegraph.1)" * "Germany was England's best foreign customer before the war. Her trade had nourished when ours had flourished; it had declined when ours declined. No two countries were more closely bound together by commercial and financial partnership. "Why should we, then or now, wish to exclude Germany from world trade? "We have never believed in. England that competition is exclusive. We believe that in days of development and prosperity and peace it promotes trade all round. "But what destroys trade is partly the waste of effort, expressed in both capital and labour, on unproductive purposes, such as armaments, and, above all, lack of confidence and the fear of war. ■ "Herr Hitler has predicted a/long period of peace. No one .hopes more devoutly than I do that this prediction will be fulfilled. , "It is not my business to discuss the extent to-which.the difficulties of Germany, or of any other country, might be reduced by action that it is within, the power of a single country to take. But I know that so long as the world remains an armed camp the present difficulties will in greater or less degree persist for all." TRADE NEGOTIATIONS.., Lord Halifax then referred to tha negotiations between British and German industries.. "Within the last few days," he said, "We have reached a very satisfactory agreement. The agreement was one freely negotiated between the. German coal industry and the British coal in- ( dustry to regulate competition and prevent undercutting in third markets. "I welcome this agreement as a very practical contribution to co-operation between the two countries and a hopeful sign for the future. For I believe that collaboration between the two countries is not only desirable, but necessary. "Further, there are shortly,to>,take place in Germany a series of negotiations between other British and -German industries, with the same object —to limit competition and to avoid price-cutting in third markets. These, negotiations will take place between the industries, butT-it, is , the, earnest wish of the Government that, "they should succeed, and that they will facilitate a fair and friendly understanding as ,to competition in the world markets which we want to see. "The needs of the world give sufficient scope for the industries of both countries, and the prospecjts for each lie, not in attempting to cut the other out, but in working to enlarge the volume of trade in which both share." BRITAIN'S RE-ARMAMENT. ' Referring to re-armament, Lord Halifax said: "Just as it would; .be quite indefensible for anyone to pretend that our defensive schemes were complete, it is in the highest degree wrong and dangerous to depreciate the enormous efforts that the country is making and the immense results that these efforts have brought. "On the sea, on land and in the air, as a result of the last two or three years' intensive drive, this country is a long way on the road to resuming its ancient strength, and if trouble came,, and there was a temptation in any quarter to think that this country would not give a good account of itself, those holding that opinion would make a very bad mistake. "While the last thing the British people want to do is to pick quarrels with anybody, they are, nevertheless, so made that if a quarrel were ever forced upon them, I should-have no shadow of doubt either as to what their answer or what the ultimate outcome would be. . "Even if all our efforts were to fail, Lord Halifax added, "and this country found itself obliged to face war, I should have no sort of doubt that we had been 100 per cent, right to make the efforts we have made, and are making, to show Europe the more excellent way. . "For in such event the whole British people, irrespective of party and everything else, would be* united as one man; their honest desire for peace would have been shown beyond any possibility of doubt; they themselves would have an invincible spiritual conviction of right; and the effort on the moral opinion of the world, with all that that would mean, would be incalculable. ~ "It is inevitable when deep reeling is aroused that partisans on different sides will exaggerate mutual differences. But one thing I know very well At bottom all our people are solidly only pro-British, and are prepared for whatever is .necessary to secure interests they adjudge vital.