Nelson Evening Mail SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1937 DOES GERMANY WANT PEACE ?

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 11 September 1937, Page 8

Nelson Evening Mail SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1937 DOES GERMANY WANT PEACE ?

IT has been said that the peace and prosperity of the world depend on the peace and prosperity of Europe; that the peace of Europe depends on the peacefulness of Germany, and that Germany s policy is decided by the myriads of young men who parade under the banners of Naziism, which maintains that the natural and legitimate method of promoting national expansion is by means of the sword. When recently the British Government sent a new Ambassador to Berlin, he made a speech in which he sought to promote AngloGerman friendship and the cause of peace. The German press, which is completely controlled by the German Government, printed all that the British Ambassador had to say in reference to AngloGerman relations, but everything which he said in order to promote the cause of peace in Europe was omitted by the German newspapers from the reports of his speech, which contained the following passage: “1 can tell you quite definitely that what England wants, and all that England wants, is peace in Europe, and Germany will find that she has no more sincere and more useful ; friend in the world than Great j Britain." There is no doubt that j the Ambassador spoke with the ( full concurrence of the British j Government, but the response | was the suppression of all he said j in favour of the maintenance of j peace. On which a British j journalist in Berlin wrote, If such j conciliatory proposals are treated so unresponsively, there must be powerful reasons for it. In point of fact, the reasons are so powerful that it is literally impossible for the present Government of Germany to make any change of policy, because to agree to wholehearted collaboration in the sense meant in the offers made would almost inevitably end Hitlerism altogether.” The people and Government of Britain undoubtedly desire to maintain peace: they have learned the lesson that warfare can bring no benefit to Europe, but would probably end her civilisation. However, because of the menace of certain European nations, Britain is spending huge sums —hundreds of million pounds—on re-armament, She has no intention of breaking the prevailing peace, but she is determined that if other nations break it she will be in a position to defend herself and her allies. As a matter of fact she holds the balance of power between the two great groups of Continental Powers, between the totalitarian States and the States governed by the representatives of the proletariat, between Germany and Italy, on the one hand, and France and Russia, on the other. There should be no mistake about the matter: Britain desires to maintain friendly relations with Germany. The speech of her Ambassador (Sir Neville Henderson) proved that. "But incredible as it sounds (says the Berlin correspondent of the Melbourne "Argus") Germany refuses absolutely to respond now that, in the interests of lasting peace, the world has intimated that it is willing that ‘bygones be bygones,’ and that German grievances should be dealt with promptly and in the spirit of fairness and conciliation." Clearly the next move rests with Germany. She can have a continuance of peace, if she wants it. But because there is serious reason as to whether she wants peace, Britain is re-arming, and in sympathy with her are 90 per cent, of the European nations, many of which look upon her as the principal guarantor of their independence. Britain has held out the olive-branch by the hand of her Ambassador. He said to Germany, ‘‘l can tell you quite definitely that what England wants, and all that England wants, is peace in Europe. Guarantee us peace and peaceful evolution in Europe, and Germany will find that she has no more useful friend in the world than Great Britain." Apparently his overture received no response. Hitlerism and Naziism would not show their hand. If they want a continuance of peace, they can have it; but if they create war, (hey may expect that Britain will be against them: and she holds the balance of power in Europe.