Mr. Menzies Makes Notable Speech On Foreign Affairs

Northern Advocate, 12 May 1939, Page 5

Mr. Menzies Makes Notable Speech On Foreign Affairs

LONDON, May 10. Considerable interest has been shown in England in reports of a speech by the Australian Prime Minister, Mr R. G. Menzies, during a debate on foreign affairs in the House of Representatives at Canberra yesterday. Mr Menzies spoke of the magnificent example of forbearance set by Britain in the last two years in dealing with European affairs. An effort had been made to understand and show patience, said Mr Menzies, but unfortunately the display of patience and goodwill had not secured the response it. should have.

Mr Menzies’ interpretation of the policy now being pursued by Britain has special interest, because it is at once authoritative, owing to the arrangements by which the Dominion Governments are kept fully and continuously informed by Whitehall, and detached, owing botli to the constitutional position of members of the British Commonwealth and Australia’s remoteness from events in Europe. Mr Menzies emphasised that the basis of British policy was that if grievances were to be examined it should not be- at the point, of the sword, but at the conference table. There were, he said, no grievances or claims which the democratic countries were not. prepared to examine without prejudice. If the dictatorships refused to confer, then, if war came, in Mr Menzies’ opinion the whole world would know by whose aggression it had come.