Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, JUNE 20th., 1936. SANCTIONS AND SENSE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 June 1936, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, JUNE 20th., 1936. SANCTIONS AND SENSE.

JT is possible that Hitler had most io do with the British Government’s decision to advocate to League Members lhe abandonment of Sanctions. Had the economic pressure been maintained on Italy, she would have been encouraged to leave the League and seek alliance w<th Germany, the task then facing those continuing Sanctions being serious, indeed. Allowing that Germany is always scope for newsagencies looking’for sensational announcements, there is no doubt of her n g-gross i vo (on den ci os. Sho will pot bo satisfied until she has regained all she lost in the Great War- and a bit over. British resentment at such policy will lie tempered by the inward eonsoiousnessj that had Britain beo.’i defeated in the I'H-LIS struggle, she would never have rested until she had effected a come-back- J .Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Eden had an unpleasant duty in practically

eat inn- «ome of their former speeches, regarding the attitude towards Italy, but circumstances have drama! ieally changed, and, wisely, lias the British foreign policy been re-modelled. Efforts to induce Gem manv to co-operate with Britain and France, have apparently failed, and the unpleasant possibility has to bp faced that Germany means to fight as soon as she is ready. Mr. Eden was cautious in his references to Germany, but what he left unsaid was significant. It is not cowardice to admit a dread of war, especially modern conflict with its abnormal horrors and disastrous possibilities. No thinking statesman would enter lightly on a policy- however justified. that must lead to Avar. Should anv enemy attack, that would be the time for brave Avords and noble deeds.

It Avas not to bo expected that the British Ministers would show to spectacular advantage Avhen giving to the Commons, and the world, their reasons for abandoning Sanctions. They had to be careful not to offend Italy, unduly, and to aA’oid the semblance o| challenge Avhen desirous of peace-presorva-tion. On the whole, they came through the ordeal without discredit. The Overseas lands for the most part. Avill their decisions. if. like the Motherland, regretting that the attempt of the League to stop aggression Avas not more successful., Better luck next time- will be the general hope- Better laid plans, next time, are also essential. To abandon the League because it was not able to carry out its ideals at the first serious test, Avould be suicidal. The Opposition speeches Avere unworthy of the occasion. Party advantage being sought out of a national difficulty. It is unusual to find in the Commons that the

Conservatives art* bent on peace and Liberals and Labour eager for onslaught. The Opposition no-con-fidence motions avoid any constructive suggestion, but are merely “agin the Government.’’ It was not Britain’s Fault -that more was not done in the way of Sanctions before the Abyssinians were routed, and it was not through Britain that there is no Abyssinian Government in existence to-day. Labour

Claims that economic Sanctions are in themselves sufficient Io bring any nation to its knees, have been disproved. Air. Lloyd George, whose excellent work during the Great War, seems to have exhausted his statesmanship, if not his store of verbal fireworks, was theatrical in his utterances. IJe declared that if the increasing Sanctions strain had been kept up for another year, terms could have been made with .Mussolini. What may have happened during these twelve months? Would Mussolini have been patient and passive? As for what other nations would have done to uphold Sanctions had Britain proved unyielding, it is easy to make prophecies. The fact is that in many League countries there was little enthusiasm for Sanctions from the beginning. With Germany, Japan and U-S.A. out of the League, and some League Members refusing to withhold supplies for Italy, what prospect was there of the continuance of Sanctions proving the overwhelming weapon that would alone justify their continuance?

The continuance of Sanctions was inviting war, whereas the forgiveness extended to Italy may prevent il. To-day’s duty is to eo-operate to strengthen the League, so that the way of lhe next would-be iiwgrcssoi- will bo made really difficult. Italy’s co-operation in such work may have its ironic side, but that is better than having her hostile opposition to the League. The real lesson for Britain and f the whole Empire is the duty of making their Forces adequate for any task that may confront them, and as far as is practicable “to mind their own business.”