BRITAIN’S AIM

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 95, 20 March 1940, Page 9

BRITAIN’S AIM

REMAINS UNSHAKEN. PREMIER EMPHATIC. REFERENCE TO DICTATORS. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.; (British Official Wireless.) Received March 20, 11.50 a.m. RUGBY, March 19. “The time and place for us to strike must be decided on with the most expert advice we can command,” said the Premier (Mr Chamberlain), when concluding his statement with which he opened the debate in the House of Commons this afternoon. Mr Chamberlain was answering those who, he said, would urge a more vigorous policy and “who say that by some unexplained, imaginative stroke of daring we ought to wrest to ourselves the initiative.

“With the responsibility resting on the shoulders of the Government wo cannot be hustled into adventures which appear to us to present little chance of success, much chance of danger, and perhaps disaster,” Mr Chamberlain added. He had previously referred to the visit to England by Mr Sumner Welles and to the meeting between Hitler and Signor Mussolini yesterday. He said he was confident Mr Welles was able to get an accurate view of the sentiments of all sections of the community and see for himself the unity of purpose with which the British people were inspired. Of the dictators’ meeting Mr Chamberlain observed: “Some have thought it was lor the purpose of elaborating new peace proposals. I do not know whether that is true or not. For all I know those two gentlemen spent their time discussing the conditions under which the Italian ship was destroyed yesterday by a German mine with loss of Italian life.”

Then, after a brief pause, he declared with vigour: “Whatever may he the outcome we are ready to meet it. We are not likely to be diverted from the purpose lor which we entered this war.” The House greeted this declaration with loud and prolonged cheers which were renewed when the Premier went on to welcome Mr Roosevelt's- recent address on the moral bases of peace and to add: “It is to attain just such an aim that we have taken up arms. We intend to fight until it has been secured.”