Timely Topics

Northern Advocate, 13 February 1940, Page 4

Timely Topics

i “The Finland invasion marks the | end of an epoch," says the “News 4 Chronicle." “The principle of self $ determination, as the | END OF Soviet Ambassador tr lAN EPOCH. Britain pointed out in I a speech some time ago, I formed one of the basic ideas of ComImunist theory'. Over many years, the | Soviet Government continually reiterfated its sincere attachment to the iways of peace. It made non-aggres-fsion pacts with many of its neigiif hours; it joined the League. of Nu- • tions; it signed the • Briand-Kellogg | pact for the outlawry of war; it urged | disarmament and, when that failed, f collective action against-the aggressor. SAll that has gone by the board.. Russia has reversed her policy and is now f herself the aggressor. For thos;- | people who believed that, the Russian i Revolution held out hope for the junderdog. this change of policy' has -come as a profound shock. Wljere nov. | are the idealism and the faith in th< i creation of a better world which on i every anniversary of the November 3 Revolution drew to the Red Squan 4 thousands of men and women from * every corner of the earth in celv |bration? All that is over. Russia must fnow be reckoned an ambitious and | unscrupulous nation embarked for it-. 4 own ends on the crazy game of powc; f politics." 2 “ * ■* * 4 Although Mr Chamberlain will no! fhave satisfied those who like to see | the blueprints of the new world pro- | pared to the last do- * PAPER PEACE tail, he has made a | SCHEMES. valuable beginning f (says the “Manchcs|ter Guardian”). The speech should Ido a great deal to convince opinion f abroad —there was no necessity at. | home —that our aims are not selfish -tor imperialist. It is tempting for the Opposition, and particularly for an Opposition like the Labour Opposition that has so great an affection for extensive paper schemes, to wish, fur a detailed programme (which we could all set about at once to pull to pieces), but one wonders whether if Mr Attlee were in Mr Chamberlain's place, with a frightful war only just begun, he would be so rash to comply. There are directions in which as time goes on the Government could with profit be more explicit. It could well profit, for instance, and be much more outspoken about our ideas on the future of colonies. It would impress American opinion rather more were greater emphasis laid on the removal of the economic causes of international discontent. But, much as wo should be interested to see them, we can hardly blame the Government for not here and now producing precise proposals for the limitation of national sovereignties in a new European order. We shall have to be a goorl deal nearer winning the war before we can venture beyond the broadest of first principles.