THE BRITISH MEMORANDUM

Evening Star, Issue 21640, 8 February 1934, Page 9

THE BRITISH MEMORANDUM

HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE LABOUR CRITICISM Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, February 6. In the House of Commons Mr C. 11. Attlee (Lab.), following Sir John Simon, said that Labour was in no way satisfied with the British memorandum. The discussions were started on the basis that the world was going to disarm, but it was now learned that the immediate abandonment of offensive weapons was impossible. The White Paper in the main was a proposal for the rearmament of Germany. The great post-war question was whether there should be rule by force or rule by law. Sir John Simon had dono more to support rule by force than any other post-war Foreign Minister. The utmost obtainable from the proposed convention would be a short breathing space, which would be filled with manceuvring for the next struggle. Sir Austen Chamberlain said he had never admitted that Germany had the right to parity of armaments with the Allies. It was a great mistake in the circumstances to make this concession. Nevertheless, he approved the British Government’s fresh intervention. Germany should be warned that the concessions were only offered on the ground that she had no aggressive intentions affecting any country either by force of arms or propaganda, and would return to" the League. Captain Eden, in replying, said that any action on behalf of Austria decided by the League Council must be joint and international. It had been complained that the Government was not brave enough. Her task was to seek an agreement for the maximum of disarmament obtainable. If the British proposals were accepted it would be a considerable step in' the direction of disarmament. The whole future policy of consultation and the existence of the League were at stake, and the British proposals were an alternative to a catastrophe. Unless the nations accepted the memorandum or something very like it there would be no convention. “We ask them to accept it with the least delay. Only by eleventh-hour acceptance will the world gain the greatest benefits from statecraft—namely, greater confidence between peoples.”