COLLECTIVE PEACE SYSTEM

Evening Star, Issue 22032, 18 May 1935, Page 15

COLLECTIVE PEACE SYSTEM

THE ORLY. WAY EDEH’S DECLARATION {British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, May 17. In the course of his address at Fulham Captain Eden said that if it ever had more than an ephemeral existence, .isolation for Britain died in the early years of the century and was buried When she signed the League Covenant. The system of separate selective alliances was equally of no avail as a permanent solution of Britain’s difficulties. One solution only remained—the collective "peace system. The only practical form of such system in existence to-day was the League 'of Nations. He thought that in time all the nations would come to believe in that solution also. The* collective peace system provided the means to make everybody secure. In achieving, this Britain must ■play a considerable part. In Western Europe, for example,. no collective security could . be 'adequate without Britain’s whole-hearted co-operation and without provision of adequate forces by her. What was really important was not that Britain should shoulder new commitments,\ but that she should emphasise that she had already undertaken nothing more dangerous than obligations, with a determination to fulfil those obligations. In the last resort the authority of the collective system must flow from the over.whelmihg potential force it was able to array against any would-be aggressor. policy as a member of the League was directed, against no individual or nation, but only against such nation or nations as might act in conflict, with the principles of the Covenant which she had accepted. In this country nothing was so much desired as the maintenance of peace and good relations with neighbours. Inevitably, therefore, British public opinion would in the last resort he most influenced, not so much by declarations,’however sincerely or indeed ferfently made, as by a constructive contribution that any given Government was willing to make to secure the common good. \ THE LOCARNO TREATY (BRITAIN’S POSITION EXPLAINED. RUGBY, May 16. ' A Question was asked in the House of (Commons whether, as the Locarno Pact could only become effective after .Germany became a-member of the League of Nations, it was still the Government’s intention, following Germany’s withdrawal from the League, to adhere. td 'the pact ~dr,‘*to' amend, ; .ft -in,' po-operation with the other, signatories. Captaan Eden replied that the treaty (contained ho provisions for its amendment or alteration should any of the Signatories at any, time cease to be members of the League. It was the view of His : Majesty ■ s Government, after consultation with the law officers of the Crown,' that the withdrawal from the'League of any party to the Treaty- of Locarno did not of itself or by itself involve relief of all the parties from their obligations under the treaty. By the Anglo-Italian declaration embodied in the resolution the Stresa Conference His Majesty’s Government formally .reaffirmed all ijts ob- . ligations under Locarno and declared its intention, should- the need arise, faithfully to fulfil them. ' FRANCE AND GERMANY BERLIN, May 17. It has i-been reported that General ;Goering, who is journeying to Warsaw for the funeral of Marshal Pilsudski, is the bearer of an invitation to M. Laval .to visit Herr Hitler,