FREEDOM CALL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20067, 13 October 1939, Page 8

FREEDOM CALL

EUROPE’S FUTURE COMMON LIBERTY OBJECTIVE OF ALLIES REPLY TO NAZI PLEA WESTMINSTER ACCORD (Elec. Tel. Copyright,—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireles? V Reed. 1.15 p.m. RUGBY, Oct. 12. To-day’s debate in the House of Commons following the statement made by the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, in reply to Herr Hitler, showed not only a close approximation in the attitude of the party leaders but that, to quite an unusual degree, individual speakers were without divergence in their views. Similar conditions ruled in the House of Lords where a statement similar to that made by Mr. Chamberlain was made by the Foreign Secretary, Viscount Halifax. Insofar as any qualification appeared in the approval given to the statement by Mr. Chamberlain, it took the form of urging a more explicit and detailed enunciation of the principals for which the Allies are fighting.and of the contribution Britain would herself be willing to make, in common with other nations, for their realisation. This point of view was most strongly expressed by Sir Stafford Cripps (Lab., East Bristol), and it was answered by Mr. L. C. M. S. Amery (Con. Sparbrook), and others and similar observations in the House of Lords were taken up by Lord Halifax, who suggested that most of the points mentioned were covered by the statement, either explicitly or implicitly. Points Omitted Lord Halifax added: “I would ask you to take it from me that those not covered are all. without exception, in tire mind of His Majesty’s Government. When preparing that statement they were considered with the Utmost care. It was with a dominating sense of the gravity and responsibility that those who had to deteri mine the form of the statement decided ! that points omitted should not be in- ! eluded.” In the House of Commons the I Leader of the Opposition, Major C. R. ! Attlee, declared that the statement i made by the Prime Minister would be ! endorsed by the*British people and approved by the peoples of other countries. “Britain went to the extreme limit of forbearance before it | took up arms,” he said. “It has ! shown abundantly its desire for | peace. It has shown its willingness to discuss every grievance. “At any time, if Herr Hitler had wished, he could have discussed the problem of frontiers, the problem of colonies, the problem of raw materials or the problem of disarmament. He chose instead the path of violence and force. I think the German people should know that, at any time, they can get peace, but they must abandon the methods of aggression.” Collective Security Major Attlee said that Labour had adhered to the party's declared policy of disarmament and collective security. “We must get a new world,” he continued. “We must get a new Europe in which the rights of all nations are recognised. “I was glad to hear the Prime Minister say that we should do it in consultation with the German people. We are standing for a Europe in which, while the German people will have their rights, all other nations will have their rights too. We believe that we can build up a new world, bill it must be a new world based on the principles of democracy which demand of peoples they should regard the rights of others as well as their own rights. “I think that we should let the German people know of the choice hefor them. It is not a choice of being defeated in war and disappearing as effective members of the European comity of nations. They have the choice cf stopping this war. They have the choice of contributing to a better Europe. Peril of Patchccl-up Peace “We must pursue the struggle with resolution, because a patched-up peace would only lead to another war and leave an uneasy world staggering under a huge burden or armaments. We must see that we come out of this struggle with nothing less than a new world.” The Leader of the Liberal Party, Sir Archibald Sinclair, said: “We have have the right and duty to condemn manifestations of barbarism, but it is not for us to chastise another people for its form of government. The German people must have the means of setting their own house in order, but they must cease to impose their tyranny on their neighbours. “The Prime Minister has to-day proclaimed that we are fighting for the liberation of Europe from Nazi tyranny. I would like him to add also liberation from the burden and danger of national armaments and for the rebuilding of a European order based on law, justice and good faith.”