“Not War, But Crusade For Decency”-Eden

Northern Advocate, 4 December 1939, Page 6

“Not War, But Crusade For Decency”-Eden

(Received 1 p.m.) LONDON, December 2

“This war is going to be a grim business, but time is on our side,” said the Colonial Secretary (Mr. Malcolm MacDonald) speaking at Dingwall this evening.

“Every month that passes we grow stronger, whereas the opposite is true of Germany. “Nothing the enemy could do,”

said Mr MacDonald, “could break

the spirit of British sailors, and as long as that spirit remains unbroken Britain remains masters of

the sea.”

Speaking at Warwick the Dominions Secretary (Mr. Anthony Eden) said nothing would be more foolish than to underrate the magnitude of the task upon which the country was engaged.

Ruthless Nazi War Machine,

“The German war machine is ruthless,” he said. “For years it has had the whole resources of the powerful state at its command.

“Germany’s whole economy has been twisted for war purposes. This is not a war in the sense of a clash of rival national ambitions. . We have no such ambitions. “We are not out to secure new rights for ourselves. “We want neither territory nor privileges but we do seek—not only for ourselves but for all nations, small or great—the right to live our own lives at freedom and at peace.

Deterioration in Standards.

“This is not a war. “It is a crusade for international decency. “For some time past we have been in the presence of a progressive deterioration of international standards.

“Today the pledged word between nations is openly broken. “The smaller neighbour is bullied and invaded, merely because he is the smaller neighbour. “If that process had been allowed to continue, it would have ended only in universal anarchy and misery.”