Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1939 SIR SAMUEL HOARE’S SPEECH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 14 March 1939, Page 6

Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1939 SIR SAMUEL HOARE’S SPEECH

THERE were two passages in the j British Home Secretary’s recent speech which are of great significance. Speaking of the British Government's immense re-arma-ment plan, Sir Samuel Hoare said, “We are doing no more than | raise our standard of defence to the point already reached by the dictator countries, and we are raising it with extreme reluctance,” and in concluding his remarks, he said, “The significant fact is the simultaneous rejuvenescence of democratic strength in each of these great democracies . . . and the equal determination of all three to resist, and resist victoriously, any and every attack upon their life and liberty.” The three democracies are Britain, France, and the United States, and the speaker’s opinion is that their interests and destinies are intertwined. In contradistinction are the two dictatorships in Europe and the Japanese autocracy in the Far East. The policies of the democracies are well known. They desire the continuance of peace, the enlargement of industry, and reciprocity in trade. Peace and reciprocity they have, but the continuance of peace is uncertain, since there is in the world an almost universal spirit of distrust, which reveals itself in the vast armaments of the great

| nations, including Britain, who is spending in the current year nearly 600 millions sterling, in putting her defences in order. The cause of this unrest is found in the fact that autocratic governments may change their policies in the twinkling of an eye: to-day they may be peaceful, to-morrow they may be belligerent. The two great dictators in Europe may be most capable politically, and to-day they appear to be peacefully inclined: but who is to say what their real inclination may be? One of them, at least, has said and done things which can hardly be regarded as conducive to peace, the other is considered as being under the influence, if not the control, of an innumerable following whose organisation and policy seem to indicate preparation for strife. Perhaps dictatorship is the only form of government which is possible in certain European countries at the present time, but that does not alter the fact that the existence of the dictatorships in question keeps such countries as France and Britain in a state of apprehension lest peace should be broken, and the United States in a condition of unrest. The interests of the three countries, named, are interwoven, and therein lies a guarantee of the continuance of peace. That was evidently the thought in Sir Samuel Hoare’s mind when he referred to the three countries’ rearmament plans, of which he said, “They are outward and visible signs of the strength and vigour of the three countries and of their unshakable resolution to ward off attack on their historic liberties.” The British Minister would not have thus grouped the three nations together unless he felt on safe ground in doing so. The civilised world will follow his example and, when considering the complex problems of international politics, will have regard to the necessity for considering the close association which exists between Britain, France, and the United States.