Timely Topics

Northern Advocate, 21 June 1937, Page 4

Timely Topics

BRITISH EMPIRE, THE LEAGUE AND PEACE.. Writing to “The Times” prior to the opening of the Imperial Conference, Sir Abe Bailey said that the whole world looked to Britain for a clear lead in promoting international peace. He then went on to say: “Appeasement will not come from a mere handing over of colonies and mandates from the ‘ haves ’ to the ‘ have nets,’ nor even from granting economic and trading concessions. Germany had many colonies in 1914 and a great and growing world trade. Yet war came.

“Nor will peace be found in isolation. It takes two or more to make an isolation. I know that in South Africa and' other Dominions authoritative spokesmen declare that the Dominions will never follow the Mother Country in a war which may arise, for example, out of German designs on Czechoslovakia. But from an international standpoint the significance of a war does not lie in the spot where it breaks out, but in the way in which, like any other plague, it may spread. “The Dominions are, at the moment, proud of their independence. They are perhaps swollen-headed. If they are to follow Great Britain’s lead they must be ridden oh the snaffle.

“The British Empire must. have a foreign policy which will have the moral support of thd United States. “I sorrowfully admit that the League of Nations has no teeth at present, but despite its many failures I still believe that the League policy may enable us to overcome the dangers to which I referred, and briiig peace to the world. An association of nations meeting on terms of equality in the council chamber will do much to give back to the * have nets ’ that self-respect the' loss of which, much more than the loss of colonies, has retarded their recovery, and restore that confidence that, far more than any juggling with mandates,, is necessary to the revival of international trade.- • ’ ' >

“A league policy which, even if it cannot prevent war, may canalise it would also remove those legitimate fears which are exploited by the isolationists, would guarantee the sovereign rights on the Dominions, and would undoubtedly secure the sympathy and perhaps the co-operation of the United States.

“Once upon a time I feared that the League might mean the end of the British Empire. Today I believe that the League, restored to authority, may be the guarantee of "the Empire’s power and usefulness,” --- • .

ia a a s Words, Of Wisdom There’s music [in [the*, sighing of a reed; There’s music in the gushing of a rill; There’s music in all things, if men had ears; Their earth is but an echo of the spheres. —Byron. m a a a' Tale Of The Day Brown and his wife were at a local concert, and Mrs Brown loudly applauded one of the singers. “Why are you clapping for an encore?' Her singing wasn’t very good.” “I know it,” replied the wife, “but I want to havey another good took at her frock.”