ANGLO-GERMAN RELATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 February 1939, Page 7

ANGLO-GERMAN RELATIONS

LORD HALIFAX’S APPEAL

INDUSTRIES v. ARMAMENTS

[BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.]

RUGBY, February 3.

In a speech at Hull, Lord Halifax commented at. some length on Hitler’s recent speech, especially on those passages which dealt specifically with German relations with Britain and other Powers.

Lord Halifax said he could add nothing to the Prime Minister’s words on Tuesday, but he referred to Hitler’s statement that Germany must export or die. No doubt that was true of Germany. It certainly was true of the United Kingdom. He took exception to the suggestion cf Hitler, that the last war was waged to exclude Germany from world trade, pointing out that. Germany was England’s best foreign customer before the war, and German and British trade had flourished together. No two countries were more closely bound together by commercial and financial partnership than Germany and Britain. Why should Britain then wish to exexclude Germany from world trade? What, destroyed trade was the waste of capital and labour on unproductive purposes, such as armaments, and the lack of confidence and fear of war. Hitler had predicted a long period of peace, and none hoped more devoutly than he (Lord Halifax) did, that this prediction would be fulfilled, for with a real assurance of peace, economic development would be possible. He did not propose to discuss the extent, to which the difficulties of Germany, or any other country, might be reduced by action within the power of a single country to take, but he did know that so long as the world remained an armed camp, present difficulties would persist for all. If there was any one thing certain, it was that basic economic standards — the amount and quality and price of food the people ate, the rent and taxes they paid—could not be improved, unless all nations worked together for the common good. That Britain was prepared to do at all times, and as an example of a better method, he cited the recent, successful Anglo-German coal negotiations, and expressed the hope that the forthcoming negotiations with a. wider scope between British and German industries, would be equally successful. Lord Halifax also commented on the statement a few' weeks ago, in which Mr. Roosevelt gave striking expression to his ideals, many of which are held in common by the American and British peoples. He said that in these times, which are revolutionary, they must recognise things would be done which shocked the moral sense of the people, but responsible statesmen must, however, bear in mind that the end of all their efforts must be to resist forces that would destroy peace. In another part of his speech, Lord Halifax analysed

THE TWO ELEMENTS which in the modern world, added to the difficulties and complexities of international affairs. Relations between the State and individual, which for British people had been formally established on the basis of liberty and respect for human responsibility, were elsewhere replaced by philosophies which -were opposed to many things that they in Britain regarded as fundamental. It was this lack of philosophies which, in addition to the legacy of feeling and disturbance left by the Great War, was responsible for the present, atmosphere in which intoleiance was often regarded as a sign of strength, and tolerance as weakness. In such an atmosphere, it was understandable if some people were tempted to abandon the efforts for understanding that seemed to bring no, reward. Lord Halifax went on to pay a tribute to the perseverance and courage of Mr. Chamberlain in his efforts to restore confidence in Europe. It was in the spirit of these efforts that Mr. Chamberlain had gone to Rome. With nocountry had British differences been sharper in the recent past than Italy. The Fascist regime was totally different from the British, and Italy forms part of the Rome-Berlin axis, which was essentially a point in Italian policy; just as the Anglo-French entente was in Britain. Nevertheless the impressions which remained uppermost in the Foreign Secretary’s mind after the visit, were the

CORDIALITY OF MUSSOLINI and the spontaneous enthusiasm with which the Italian people, greeted the Premier, and a very definite assurance which he and the Prime Minister received from Mussolini that the policy of Italy was one of peace. Speaking of the Mediterranean in particular, Mussolini had assured them he was well satisfied with the AngloItalian agreement, whereby both parties undertook to respect the status quo in the Mediterranean, and had also emphatically declared that once the Spanish civil war was over, all Italian military support would be. withdrawn, and ho would have nothing to ask from Spain by way of territorial concessions. Justifying non-intervention, Lord Halifax spoke of Italian-French relations. and said that so long as they were what they were, it. was bound to cause concern to Britain, for whom close contact and co-operation with France, based upon identity of interests. were fundamentals of their foreign policy. Therefore, while that state of things between Italy and France continued, it was not possible for. international tension to bo reduced in a way they would like to see. in an area where British interests were directly and vitally concerned.

Referring to British armed strength. Lord Halifax said that on sea or land and in the air, as the result of the last two or three years' intensive drive. Britain was a long way on the road io resuming her ancient strength, and if trouble came, and there was temptation in any quarter to think Britain would not give a good account of herself, those holding that opinion would make a very bad mistake. MUSSOLINI’S SPEECH (Rec. Feb. 4, 88 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 3. “The Times’s” Berlin correspondent says: Official circles expect to-mor-

row’s speech by Mussolini to state precisely what he wants from France, and the crisis will then have begun, although it may not be acute immediately.

It is recalled that the Czech crisis lasted six months, but German officialdom is momentarily a great deal more optimistic about a peaceful settlement of the 1939 Mediterranean dispute than they were about the 1938 Sudeten-Ger-man quarrel.

COLONIES RETURN

NEW YORK, February 3

The American and British Institutes of Public Opinion announce that polls taken in both countries show the extent of popular opposition to the return of colonies to Germany. The figures were: — United States, 17 per cent, for .return and 83 per cent, against; British 15 per cent, for and 85 per cent, against. FRENCH BROADCASTS. (Recd. February 4, 10 a.m.) PARIS, February 3. The Government is constructing a number of powerful radio stations to combat hostile foreign broadcasts.