Patea & Waverley Press MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1938 THE HOUR AND THE MAN

Patea Mail, 3 October 1938, Page 2

Patea & Waverley Press MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1938 THE HOUR AND THE MAN

HISTORY has shown again and again that .whenever there is a critical time in Britain there has always been found the man to relieve the situation. It is a fact of which every Britisher is justly proud. During the Great War, when disaster appeared to be staring Britain in the face, there arose Mr. Lloyd George, who, with the help of his able colleagues, pulled Britain through the crisis. Later, when thrones were everywhere tottering and Britain’s King might possibly have lost his through his desire to contract a morganatic marriage with an American divorcee, there arose Mr. Stanley Baldwin; now Earl Baldwin, who guided Britain through the crisis and .saved the situation. To-day, when the Avar clouds were gathering, and there appeared every likelihood of a war that would plunge the whole of Europe into mourning, the man was found in Mr. Neville Chamberlain, who, by dint of personal effort, saved the situation. There is no honour in the power of the King to grant that Mr. Chamberlain has not earned. The Nobel Peace prize awarded annually to the one who has done most "in the cause of peace should be Mr. Chamberlain’s should he desire it. But from what one can judge of his life and. character, rewards of any kind are “ frail and fickle” things to him. What he will appreciate most is the gratitude of his fellow countrymen. This he has well and faithfully earned, indeed there is due to him the heartfelt thanks of every citizen in every country in the civilised world. Pie in a feAV hours has accomplished more than the League of Nations in the nineteen years it has been in existence. What Mr. Chamberlain has saved the people from cannot be overestimated. One has only to read of the millions of gas masks that were handed out to men, Avomen and children in Britain Avhen hostilities threatened, to realise Avhat modern Avarfare actually means. Formerly, warfare Avas confined to the combatants. To-day, it is not - only the combatants, but the unarmed civilians, and particularly the women and children avlio are called upon to suffer. With aerial warfare, Avar to-day is a fiendish and barbarous thing, and should be averted at all costs. If there arc any so foolish as to think that the French and British representatives should have, refused to parley with Herr Hitler they have only t-9 lie reminded of the possibilities of mod ei T AVgrfgre. Therefore, avc say once more, that there is no honour that His Majesty can bestoAV that Mr. Chamberlain lias not earned over and over again. In addition, he has earned the heartfelt thanks of the people, particularly the Avomen and child yen of the ciArilised Avorld,