Our Motto is Defence, Not Defiance or Deference, Says P.M.

Northern Advocate, 30 January 1939, Page 7

Our Motto is Defence, Not Defiance or Deference, Says P.M.

(Received 10 a.m.)

LONDON, January 29. QUR MOTTO IS NEITHER DEFIAN CE NOR DEFERENCE; IT IS DEFENCE,” DECLARED THE PRIME MINISTER, MR CHAMBERLAIN, IN A SPEECH AT BIRMINGHAM LA ST NIGHT. He arraigned those who, blinded by partisanship, criticised his visit to Rome, which, he said, was not actuate d by a desire to secure bargains, but to improve his acquaintance with the Italian statesmen without either converting the other. Unprecedented demonstrations of welcome had marked his visit, wHl’ch proved Italy’s desire for peace, which every country shared, Mr Chamberlain continued. It took two to make peace, one could make war, ONLY DANGER TO PEACE ■' Only a challenge for forcible domination of the world could endanger peace. The democracies, as he and Mr Roosevelt had already Indicated, must inevitably resist this; but he did not believe such a challenge was intended, because, owing to a ppreciation of the gravity of the consequences, no Government whi ch had at heart the interests of the peoples of either side would emb ark on war. There was no difference that was insoluble without war, by consultation and negotiation in accordance with the Munich declaration. The present rearmament activity would not remain a feature of British life, but was a temporary, grim necessity, said the Prime Minister. All trusted that it was a preliminary to a return to sanity. Meanwhile the international tension hampered business enterprise. This, apart from, other considerations, justified the Government’s efforts to ease the strain and promote international understanding.

Mr Chamberlain said he did not re'gret his part in the events of last September. , ‘ Peace could not have been saved without Signor Mussolini’s co-oper-ation. . ■ , “We must satisfy other countries’ reasonable aspirations, and be ready to talk on terms or equality,” the Prime Minister added. Britain’s Preparations. £ 111 -; ;

Dealing with defence, Mr Chamberlain recalled that GO new ships, aggregating 130,000 tons, would be added to the Royal Navy by the end of March, and 75 ships, aggregating 150,000 tons, in the ensuing 12 months.

ill-armed Britain in a reamed world would be no contribution to that peace which they all desired. Other Important Factors. Continuing, Sir John said; : “When we assess the position of Britain in the world today, let us not make the mistake of measuring everything by armed power alone, formidable as our gun power is. ,* ' “There are other factors of importance. There is our financial strength, which remains .as important a weapon of defence as ever before. The world knows that is 50.,. Britain 1 is far better equipped to face a financial crisis today than she was seven years ago.” Mr MacDonald, speaking at Leeds, said many people were far too pessimistic about the prospects for 1939. “But we are certainly liVing .in very anxious days,” he added. “All are conscious that over our heads hangs a dark shadow —the possibility qf war.”

Aircraft production had been doubled in the last few months.

Factories had been erected and extended, and the defence programme had been accelerated. The position had been greatly, improved, and ahti-aircraft deficiencies had been largely removed. “We must build up a fourth army of national defence, because, although we will not all be in the firing line, we may all be in the line of fire,” said Mr Chamberlain. Health, housing, recreation and the prosperity of industry and agriculture, although not neglected, were regrettably hampered by the demands of national security, the Prime Minister went on. The revised plans for civil defence would, as far as possible, be disclosed to all who were affected.

Britain Under Test. Much of the war talk was based, on the extraordinary assumption that Britain was weak. Those who assumed this were wrong. More than once thi's apparently casual, careless,, but free people had suddenly shown, at the testing time, endurance, reserve of strength, and an obstinate will to victory which would not have .been equalled by any people who lived under a more restricted form of Gov-* * ernment, ’ '

Voluntary System Will. Succeed. “I do not fear the result of the appeal for voluntary workers,” he said. “The idea is to find people for certain definite jobs,' not jobs for the whole of the people. We confidently count on the national response to make our defence invincible, avoiding needless alarms and facing- the future courageously, as did our ancestors 125 years ago.”

A Word for Foreign Hearers. The “Sunday Times” says that Mr Chamberlain, in dwelling on the magnitude of British rearmament, intended to answer domestic critics, but his words have a value for foreign hearers. *

Dictators, before deciding on the next move, should indulge-in no perilous illusions. The French Press praises Mr Chamberlain’s speech. “Le Petit.Journal” says: “Mr Chamberlain still expresses his faith in peace, but has clearly defined the limits beyond which it is impossible to go. He has done this with calmness and firmness, which should make the heads of nations animated by warlike spirit reflect. Newspapers in Berlin publish brief summaries of Mr Chamberlain’s speech. An Independent Cable Service message from London says the majority of the Press received enthusiastically Mr Chamberlain’s statement.