PLEA FOR PEACE

Nelson Evening Mail, 26 May 1916, Page 5

PLEA FOR PEACE

MR PONSONBY AND MR RAMSAY MACDONALD AGAIN.

LONDON, May 2A.

In the House of Commons there was a. remarkable debate on the credit vote of three hundred millions. Mr A. H. Pohsonby declared that the House of Commons was entitled to discuss the diplomatic situation and consider whether the differences between the Allies and the enemy were sufficientlv great and unbridgeable to justify the continuance of the gigantic sacrifice. A deadlock had existed' fpr some" time, and' it was doubtful ■whether. the valour of the soldiers would prove the deciding .factor. The side inventing the most diabolical machine was the most likelv to win in, modern warfare. He hoped the statesmen would not imperil the future through/ diplomatic indecision and ineptitude. -He believed that hostilities would continue for ever if they waited for Sir Edward Grey and Dr * von Bethmarin Hollweg | to agree a? to which side was blameworthy. The people ought to know if it was a fact that the war would continue until the fall o| Constantinople or until some compact with the Allies had been fulfilled. \ He urged, immediate negotiations for,' ibe termination of;! hostilities . Moral force ought-;.to overcome -physical .violence, (bringing the nations through sanity: to. peace. • ,-. Mr Ramsay. Mac Donald supported Mr Ponsonf>y. He said ; it was our duty tomake clear to our enemies our intentions. . Mr Ramsay Mac Donald supported Mr Ponsonby. He said it was our duty; to' make clear to our enemies our intentions; - ""

Sir Edward Grey said .he had not •prepared a. comprehensive reply, but if it were believed that the German nation had arrived at a stage when the Allies could bring peace nearer by speeches-; he would i-eply that/ Ehey could speak without'.'end, ' He' did not believe that time had come. It was impossible to state the peace terms that would be acceptable to th» Allies until they had consulted the Allies. A conference wasnot accepted when war threatened;; "be-,; cause no goodwill existed'. He wished: Austro-Germanv had published■-.-*be rei ports of the Balkan Conference, show-v- ---- Britain's part. He did riot admit that Dr von Bethnvmi*'' Hbllweg's in terviews showed a dispositien to"accept T>(?ace. If Germanv was prepared' to offer terms whv did 'she not say si> ? Did etinuette stand in the way? Dt' von Bethmann Hollwetr's ; definition of Britain's attitude hi the Bosnian difßcnltv was a first-class- Tie: It vra* imnos sible to Tesort to reason while the G<»t man neoole were fed up, wif.h lies. Dr von "RpihrnaiiH Hollwes? said those rh- , suonsibl'e for the- continuation" of the war would :bo cornnelled to accent Germanv's tp'tivs. That was a childish statement.. Nation* refusing .to accept •neace- terms regardless : -. of f.h<nr own interests could not be reara-rded. as re--sponsible for the continuation' of the war. The Allies were;,riot beaten, and were not going to be Ibeaten. If any

ally had a special right to speak on peace it was Fro tip*, upon whom tiio f-ury of the had been cciceritrated .for weeks at Verdun. The French Army's prowess wa* saving France and the Allies. Was tits the moment for Britain to do anything except concentrate her determination in. the fullest support of the Allies? What would future generations say if we let escape an occasion for establishing a durable peace based upon international rights, a peace tihat would save the world from a similar catastrophe in the future? The war had' not yet reached a stage giving a prospect of making a durable peace a reality.