MUTUAL IDEALS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19894, 23 March 1939, Page 3

MUTUAL IDEALS

BRITAIN AND FRANCE SERVICES TO PEACE KING VOICES HOPES AID IN WORLD AFFAIRS (Bloc. Tol. Copyright —Unito«l Press Assn.) (Rccd. Mar. 23, 10 a.m.) LONDON, Mar. 22. At the State banquet arranged on the occasion of the visit by tiic President of France, the King, in welcoming Monsieur and Madame Lebrun assured the French President of the cordiality with which Britons greeted him as head of a great friendly nation. The King said that the toast to French and British relations had never been proposed with deeper sincerity, nor on a more significant occasion. "Our own people are united in their devotion to the rule of law and are conscious of the identity of interests, making the identity of each the common concern of both,” he continued. Statesmen thus were enabled to take mutual counsel with perfect confidence in co-operation and continuing to render great services to peace. “They arc, to the utmost, anxious to agree on a solution of the world’s many grave problems, but will not be a party to a solution violating the principles rightly governing international relations,” said the King. “We recognise there arc difficulties ahead, but we can look to the future faithfully ttnd hopefully, conscious of our strength and the immortal qualities of our peoples in mind and spirit manifest above all in the hour of danger.” NATIONS DRAWN CLOSER NAZI VIOLENCE SHUNNED HITLER’S REPUDIATION (Elec. Tol. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Rccd. 9 a.m. RUGBY, March 21. In welcoming the French President, M. Lebrun, and Mmc. Lebrun, all the newspapers make reference to the unexpected political importance which, owing to the events during the last few days, the visit has acquired, and emphasise that the ties which unite the two countries are recognised more clearly than ever before.

Referring to the conversations that are to be held during the visit, The Times says: "Both the French Foreign Minister, M. Bonnet, who accompanied M. Lebrun and the British Foreign Secretary, Viscount Halifax, have been engaged during last week in a whole series of conversations with the Ministers of countries which have been alienated by the German policy of violence and which have been drawn together by common ideas as to how dealings of State with State should be conducted.

Recalling the hopes entertained at the close of the Royal visit to Paris last July, The Times says: "It was hoped then that Germany would be one of a community of nations basing themselves on fair dealing and would accept the need for restraint and consultation which any association of nations always necessarily imposes, but Herr Hitler has chosen otherwise. A s Viscount Halifax stated in the House of Lords, he lias completely repudiated the spirit of Munich, the essence of which was that an advance from it to a general settlement should be achieved by way of consultation. He consulted last week with no one but his own subordinates. The position lias been entirely changed from what it was even a few days ago, because wc now, in Viscount Halifax’s words, arc confronted with arbitrary suppression of an independent State by force and of violation of the elementary rules of international conduct. Britain and France are, in any case, comrades in a great cause to make fair dealing prevail between nations an-d to promote freedom, charity and fraternity between individuals.”