Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1936 THE GREATEST SAFEGUARD OF PEACE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 26 May 1936, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1936 THE GREATEST SAFEGUARD OF PEACE

SPEAKING to Conservative members c>l the House of Commons, the British Premier recently declared that “a strong Britain js' the greatest safeguard of peace in Europe.” There is nothing new in that opinion—it has been voiced by many British Prime Ministers —but it is probably more true to-day than it ever was. Europe is an armed camp, in which there is suspicion, fear, and dissension, and a quarrel between any two European nations would probably cause a general conflict. So the significance of Mr Baldwin’s statement is readily understood. For seventeen years—ever since the signing of the Versailles Treaty—Britain has worked strenuously to settle international differences by arbitration and agreement, instead of by force of arms. She has upheld the sanctity of the League of Nations’ Covenant (which contains complete provisions for settling international disputes) and, recognising the League’s Council as the international arbiter of Europe, if not of the world, she has given it her fullest support. And then came the Italian Dictator’s invasion and conquest of Abyssinia—the sudden unprovoked attack by a great European Power upon an ancient, weak, and inoffensive, semicivilised black race, possessing a rich and fertile country. The League’s Covenant was deliberately broken by one of its principal signatories. The League condemned the aggressor, and imposed economic sanctions, but to no purpose. To-day the position is that the League is discredited, the rapacious nation is triumphant, and the British Premier, recognising that a disarmed Britain has failed to uphold the sanctity of the Covenant, says that “a strong Britain is the greatest safeguard of peace in Europe.” The British Navy is in process of reconstruc-

tion, the Royal Air Force is being made “second to none” —to use Mr Baldwin’s own phrase —and presently the British Government will be in a position to exercise more than moral suasion in the council of Europe. It may be said that Britain has decided that great as is her moral force, the rehabilitation of her physical force will give her increased prestige with those European nations which have abandoned the League’s ideal, which was the substitution of arbitration for force in settling international disputes. For it cannot be too strongly emphasised that Britain’s renewed strength will be used definitely and consistently for the promotion of peace. Her Government and people are imbued with no spirit of aggression, but, perceiving that, as there are certain important European nations whose leaders are evidently prepared to use force as a political instrument in determining international affairs, they (the Government and people of Great Britain) have been compelled to abandon disarmament as a practical and effective policy. At the moment, the Dominions are not seriously affected by this great change. But it is to be expected that in due course they will desire to be in a position to contribute materially to the defence of the Empire, if its safety should be threatened. It is already clear that one of the most practical ways in which they can contribute to the desired end is by creating, and maintaining in a state of efficiency, powerful air forces for protection of the British Commonwealth of Nations as a whole, and of its component parts.