THE VOICE OF FRANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 56, 4 September 1939, Page 9

THE VOICE OF FRANCE

PREMIER'S SPEECH

"WILL NOT STAND BY"

LEBRUN'S MESSAGE

WAR BUDGET ADOPTED

jßy Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Received September 4, 10 a.m.) PARIS, September 3.

The Chamber of Deputies unanimously adopted a war Budget of £4G0,0(K),000, implying authority to the Government to declare war.

The Prime Minister, M. Daladier, paid homage to the noble efforts of. the Italian Government to avert hostilities and also paid a tribute to the French Army. He added:

"Time presse|. France and Britain vvill not..stand-..by and watcH the destruction of a friendly people. Aggression against Poland is a new enterprise of violence against Britain and France, but.if the fighting is stopped, if the aggressor retires to his own frontiers, and if free negotiation follows, the French Government will'facilitate it."

Even the Communists applauded the utterance.

M. Daladier added: "We have no hate for any people in the world. If we shirked our duty it would be a precarious peace. We should be a wretched people reduced to defeat and servitude."

M. Daladier's final phrase was: "Today it is France who commands. There is no room for any other cry than 'Long Live France,'" whereupon every Deputy rose and cheered. . * -

! M. Daladier read a stirring message | from President Lebrun as follows: "You meet at a critical moment in our national life. War has broken out in Central Europe. Men are killing each other. Innocent victims are being machine-gunned from the air. The two peoples could have settled their differences by free and loyal negotiations. Britain and France are attached to a policy of prudence, wisdom, and moderation, and have done everything humanly possible to avert the crisis, but in vain, and unless they are willing, even at this hour, to hear the' voice of universal conscience, the worst possibilities arc at hand." The Chambe- adjourned and M. Daladier afterwards received the Polish Ambassador.

The Paris correspondent of the As-

sociated Press of America says thai -.: M. Daladier stated in a broadcast that ",■'<>. France, since, last September, bad '"'•:■ been the victim of "a most brutal and: >. sinister type of aggression." He said '\> that the responsibility for war rested, [^ wholly on Herr Hitler's shoulders, and: > concluded "Vive la France." • ,' "-"" The Paris correspondent of thsi" •-' Havas Agency says that M. Daladier told the Chamber of Deputies that •"■-' France was willing to participate at ,"" the eleventh hour in peace attempts, -", but he made it clear that France would ,; v fight unless German aggression was ',-''■ halted." M. Heriot pointed out that there was . ■' , no need to call Parliament together again for a declaration of .war, Cabi- , - i net having a free hand to' act unless x " = 'Germany halts the Polish invasion. V":'. I The French Council of Ministers[overnight ordered mobilisation today" T/P | under a state of emergency. . , " i Newspapers in France are now re> stricted to four pages." They warmly , 2 praise Mr. Chamberlain's statement .•>! yesterday. • ?~