IN THE COMMONS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 December 1940, Page 3

IN THE COMMONS

DEBATE ON PEACE

<B ntish Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, December 5,

An amendment to tlie King’s Speech ta lik'd by ’the. independent Labour Party in - the House of Commons, regretting that “the Government had failed to set fourth the terms upon which peace might bo made,” and suggesting the calling of a conference by means of which “the war might be brought to an early conclusion,” was defeated by 341 votes to -4, Mr J. McGovern, in moving the amendment, said that a growing number of British people believed that the conflict should be ended and could be ended if reason were allowed to supercede brute force.; If’Herr Hitler made a speech in the Reichstag, Mr Churchill should make a reasoned reply in the House of Commons plying Herr Hitler with questions as to what kind of a world lie envisaged after the war and what he intended to do in certain countries to-day under Nazi Domination. In seconding the amendment, Mr Campbell Stephen said that the Independent Labour Rart,v, just as members of other parties, dreaded the possibility of a German victory. The time had conic when Britain should make a great moral gesture to the world and offer peace to tne other side on the basis of justice for all peoples and thus give hope to the great mass of workers in every country. The first speaker to oppose the amendment .was Mr James Griffiths (Labour), who, citing as an example Marshal Petain’s actions, said that the. question before Britain was not. peace or war but capitulation or survival. Sir Percy Harris (Liberal) also opposed the amendment and Mi dames Walker (Labour) said that if the amendment had been put before the National Labour Conference i it would have been overwhelmingly defeated. Winding up the debate in favour of the amendment, Mr James Maxton said that the majority of people in thtworld desired peace. The Lord Privy Seal (Mr C. RAttlee) asked those supporting the amendment whether they favoured peace at any price or whether the> believed in liberty and social justice.. Jf Herr Hitler refused to listen to what lie called the point of reason and rejected a plea for liberty and social justice put forward by the supporters of the amendment, would they fight or give way? Mr Attlee added that lie had .great respect for those who held absolute pacifist views and lie spoke of the work done by Mr George Landsbury. “There is no one in the House who is not impressed by tiie horror of this war or the sight of mangled bodies and broken homes, but there is something worse than the killing of the body and that is killing the soul.” The Lord Privy Seal referred to the great tragedy of a great, talented race whose young men had been trained to go back to barbarianism.

i“A groat many of the Gciman I people have been corrupted by this ! abominable dictatorship,” lie said, j “Hitler has his grip on Europe i and his people and it is not going ) to be loosened by a few nice words ‘ f V om the supporters of this amendment.” The ideals for which Herr Hitler a nd Signor Mussolini stood wcie not j those of highly civilised human beings. The great difficulty confronting the Government was that Britain was up against a people who would not accept the beginning of the foundations of the decencies of modern ' civilisation. The House must realise that the present war was a contest between two different conceptions of how affairs should be carried on The fascists and Nazis have destroyed every vestage of freedom in Europe. The British aim was to try to cstabisli a world peace of free people, a peace such as civilised people understotod. What Britain was asking for herself she was asking for other nations. It was not an occasion when the Government should be expected to give a detailed exposition of its war aims. Mr Atlee eonibuled: “The King in his speech said: ‘We arc resolved j to continue the .fight until {'bert.v j and social justice are secured.’ Them | no order, authority, or social j justice on the Continent of Europe to-day. Britain has got- to replace ! anarchy in the world by an ordered | peace and she must base an ordered j peace on social justice.”