Britain’s Cordial Relations With Neutral Stales

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1939, Page 8

Britain’s Cordial Relations With Neutral Stales

LONDON, November 30.

Replying in the House of Commons to Dr. Hugh Dalton (Labour), who said it was no exaggeration to say that the survival of civilisation in Europe depended upon close and continuous co-operation between Britain .and France, the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr R. A. Butler) said that during the last war Sir Edward Grey had defined the aims of British diplomacy in wartime as: The preservation of allied solidarity.

The maintenance of relations with neutral countries.

In the present coflict Britain and France had not only maintained allied solidarity but had made Allied unity. Britain had also maintained with success her relations with neutrals.

Obligations Greater.

Mr Butler, added that our obligations in this respect were greater in this war than in the last because there were more neutrals.

The British Government understood their difficulties and desired to spare them, consistently with the primary objective of exercising belligerent rights and winning the war. They understood the hardships neutral countries were suffering and the interpretation of the new reprisals Order-in-Council would attempt to spare them as much as possible.

Exports Committee

Having mentioned that the application of the new measures against enemy exports would be conducted by the Enemy Exports Committee under the chairmanship of Lord Justice duo Parcq, Mr Butler referred to the evidence of the extent to which neutrals understood the British position and appreciated radical differences between Britain’s policy and that of the Germans of illegally sinking neutral ships at sight. Dealing in a detailed review with the country’s relations with other States, Mr Butler said Britain was more closely allied with France both in thought and action than ever before.

To the Polish. Government they could look for valuable consideration and support.

Conversations With Poles.

Mr Butler referred also to the statement issued by the Polish Prime Minister and representatives after conversations in London regarding close collaboration between those victims of German aggression. The British Government realised the importance of these conversations, and regarded them as ,a happy augury for the future.

Mr Butler welcomed the arrival in London of the Secretary-General of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, accompanied by representatives of the Turkish Finance and Commerce Ministries and the central banks to discuss political and economic questions following upon the closer relations that had been brought about between Britain and Turkey. ' He added that he hoped the conversations would result in moving the obstacles which ,at present might appear to prevent Anglo-Turkish trade reaching the level it might and ought to. South-Eastern Europe. An assurance was given to Dr. Dalton that the needs of countries in south-eastern Europe were everpresent in the minds of His Majesty’s Government.

In particular, any opportunity to develop trade with Greece would be taken, and the matter was under active consideration.

His Majesty’s Government welcomed the recent decision of the Turkish and Bulgarian Governments to reduce the numbers of troops in the frontier regions. .

That had diminished tensioA, and he hoped would lead to a renewal of confidence between those two countries.

After expressing gratification at the Portuguese Premier’s reaffirmation before the National Assembly of Portuguese loyalty to its old alliance, Mr Butler said relations with Italy were friendly. Italy And Spain. Wartime conditions made inevitable difficulties that the British Government would do its best to see interfered with legitimate Italian interests as little .as possible. He hoped the joint economic committee recently set up would result in the improvement of Anglo-Italian trade to the mutual advantage of both countres. Mr Butler added that a British commercial delegation had left for Spain, and he hoped, as a result of the negotiations taking place in Spain, that the task of improving our relations and trade with that country would be successful.