BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23500, 14 May 1938, Page 28

BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY

To commit Britain to war on behalf of Czechoslovakia, as Mr Churchill wishes, and to decline to negotiate with Italy, as Mr Eden would have had the Government do. would inevitably give the same continental bias to British strategy as made the last war all but break our backs, writes “ Scrutator,” in the Sunday Times. It would not assist Czechoslovakia, whose future will be determined either by statesmanship, as we hope, or by war on land, in which we are not able to take an important part. But it would switch off our efforts from the defence of those interests which are vital to us, namely, the security of the seas, and especially the Mediterranean. The great merit of Mr Chamberlain’s policy is that it concentrates on the point of junction between the continental strategy which is not oufs, and the insulrr strategy of defence by sea and in the air. If these negotiations succeed, we deprive German ambition of the Mediterranean arm which threatens us. and incline her policy to greater moderation. If they fail, and our free u:e of the Mediterannean becomes difficult or impossible. we shall have to go to war anyhow in defence of interests so vital, and Czechoslovakia, if she cm make no arrangement with Germany, will have precisely the same help from us as if we rushed in now with a declaration of our readiness to go to war in her defence. If we must make war let it be war for British interests where contact is established with those of Czechoslovakia. not for Czechoslovakia where as yet there is none. -