ROLE OF BRITAIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23192, 11 November 1938, Page 9

ROLE OF BRITAIN

"GO-GETTER FOR PEACE" MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S WISH -QUIETER TIMES AHEAD LONDON, Nov. 9 "I wish this Government to be a 'go-getter' for peace." This statement was the keynote of the speech made by the Prime Minister, Mr. Nevillo Chamberlain, at the Lord Maj'or's banquet at the Guildhall. "This does not moan' that we undertake the role of policeman for the world," he added, "but if we see peace is threatened we shall use our influence to save it, and if war breaks out we shall seek to stop it." Referring to Munich, he protested against the idea that there was a clash between different systems of Government, resulting in victory for one side or the other. "Munich demonstrated that four Great Powers were ablo to agree on the main outlines of settlement of one of the most dangerous problems of our time," he said, "and it encouraged the possibility of agreement on other things."

Neither prosperity nor welfare could be secured unless there was peace and strength to maintain it. Peace could not be saved by words but by action. The British Commonwealth of Nations must be the steadying factor in the world. '

He regarded the piling up of armaments as the height of human folly, but at present it was inevitable, and he hoped only a temporary accompaniment to a policy of goodwill and understanding to which he invited the attention of all nations.