The Editor’s Saturday Night

Northern Advocate, 17 December 1938, Page 8

The Editor’s Saturday Night

With the exception of China and Spain, where warfare has continued on a scale which it is difficult to set out accurately, the week has passed without violent shedding of blood in any part of the world. Conditions, however, have been electrical in many countries.

The Memel elections, for instance, have revealed a strong desire on the part of the people to go “back to the Reich.” The German Party h'as been returned with an overwhelming majority and it will not be surprising if there develops very shortly a move on the part of Germany to incorporate the essential portions of Lithuania within the borders of the Reich. This is a development which cannot be regarded carelessly by British and other signatories to the pact which ensured the independence of the Memel district. A regrettable incident which marred the week was the refusal of Herr Hitler to allow the German Ambassador and German newspaper men to attend the Jubilee Dinner of the Foreign Press. The principal speaker at this dinner was the British Prime Minister, Mr Chamberlain, who, as a matter of courtesy, sent to Herr Hitler an advance copy of the speech dealing with foreign affairs which he intended to deliver. In the course of the speech Mr Chamberlain gave not only the British nation, but other nations, some sage advice. \ He urged the folly of any nation going to war because it did not agree with the form of government of another nation. He pointed out that the form of government which exists in a country today may easily have disappeared in a short time, either by evolution or explosion. Herr Hitler evidently regarded this statement as an attack upon the Nazi regime, which was really not the case, Mr Chamberlain having uttered what might almost be termed an international platitude.

The stability of the British Empire has been questioned by critics of a speech made by Mr Malcolm MacDonald, who, while urging the units of the Empire to stick together, admitted that there was growing up in some Dominions a spirit of nationalism. This has been interpreted as a confession of a weakening of the Empire bonds, but Mr Chamberlain has declared that such an interpretation is due entirely to the fact that the whole of Mr MacDonald’s speech, which was most statesmanlike, has not been reported. / The New Zealand Government’s trade control policy continues to cause much comment. Partiesf are making the most of the arguments which present themselves in support of their particular interests, but the number of applications for license trf import is growing rapidly, which seems to negative some of the fears expressed that trade between Britain and New Zealand will be seriously interfered with. Mr Saviage has reiterated more than once this week that New Zealand will spend on imports from Britain every shilling she receives from exports sent to Britain.