TRADE IN EUROPE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23831, 10 June 1939, Page 13

TRADE IN EUROPE

LEGITIMATE EXTENSION NO BARRIERS FROM BRITAIN ALLEGATIONS UNFOUNDED < British Official Wireless) (United Press Association)! (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) RUGBY, June 8. (Received June 9, at 6.30 p.m.) In a parliamentary answer the Prime Minister, Mr Neville Chamberlain, referred with regret to the allegations that were being made in Germany that Britain is planning the destruction of German trade and all bases of German existence with a view to achieving the political and physical extinction of the German people. Such allegations, he • 6aid, continued to be made despite many Eositive declarations by himself and ord Halifax to the contrary. Mr Chamberlain went on: "In my speech at Albert Hall on May 12 and my speech during the debate in the House of Commons on May 19 I stated that any suggestions that we wished to isolate Germany or stand in the way of natural and legitimate extension of her trade in Central and South-Eastern Europe, or to plan some combination against her with the idea of making war upon her, were fantastic. I made it clear that it was still our Arm desire that our two peoples should never go to war with one another again, and that we did not desire to enter into unbridled competition with Germany either in armaments or economics. On May 19 I said we would not refuse to discuss .any methods by which reasonable aspirations oh the part of other nations could be satisfied even if this meant some adjustment of the existing state of things, but 1 insisted that such discussion could only take place in an atmosphere of mutual confidence. I can only repeat my regret that declarations, whether official or otherwise, should be made in Germany which do nothing to assist in creating such, an atmosphere." ■ : : ■ ' '; '■ ■:.;.'■'..■■, • .■: