WORLD OF WARS AND DISPUTES

Southland Times, Issue 23390, 23 December 1937, Page 5

WORLD OF WARS AND DISPUTES

LABOUR CENSURE OF BRITISH POLICY PRIME MINISTER’S APPEAL FOR PATIENCE

(United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) LONDON, December 21. Parliament, about to adjourn for Christmas, found the world little in accord with the peaceful traditions of the season, said the Leader of the Labour Opposition (Major C. R. Attlee), opening a debate on foreign affairs in the House of Commons. Wars were raging in Spain and in the Far East there were grave incidents and grave controversies arousing the greatest anxiety. Renunciation of the League of Nations by three Great Powers meant that there was no peace in the world. It was a matter of the gravest import to the British Empire because the preservation of world peace was its first interest. Major Attlee urged definite action to counteract the “propaganda war” deliberately being waged through the cinema and the Press and over the radio against the Empire, poisoning people’s minds against Britain. He criticized the Government for not realizing that true British interests were the support of international Jaw and democracy. The British Empire could survive only if it served greater in-

terests than its own. It had survived in the past through goodwill. Now propaganda and a short-sighted foreign policy were destroying its foundations. Major Attlee, referring to the talks between Herr Hitler and Viscount ■Halifax, said that colonies should be administered first and foremost in the interests of the inhabitants. If a colonial claim was valid for Germany it was equally valid for Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria and Switzerland. Dividing colonies would not bring a real settlement.

Major Attlee said he did hot believe colonies could be treated as a counter in a game of diplomatic bargaining.

WHAT OTHER COURSE?

The Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain) said he regretted the untimely debate. He was unable to perceive what course Major Attlee could advise unless it was to go to war against any Power that did not' listen to Britain’s representations. But there must be a period for the study and exploration of the problems. He expressed the opinion that no greater service could be rendered to the cause of peace than restraint and toleration by the Press. Mr Chamberlain denied that the Government was drifting. It had a definite objective—the settlement of file grievances of the world without war. It did not think that threats were the right way to achieve this result, but thought the result could be attained best by personal contacts. The Prime Minister referred to the various international conversations which, he claimed, had not been expected nor intended to produce immediate results. They were conversations, not negotiations; no pledges had been given and no bargains had been struck. Britain’s object was to establish personal contact and arrive at clear understandings on each side of the policies and outlooks of the different governments. As a result of Lord Halifax’s visit to Germany the British Government now had a fairly definite idea of the problems which in the view of the German Government had to be solved. The visit must be considered as a first step towards what was sometimes called a general effort at general settlement. What had happened, so far was only the preliminary to a more extended but, he hoped, more fruitful ' future effort

Mr Chamberlain next referred to Dr Paul van Zeeland’s mission, expressing appreciation and gratitude of his efforts. He reminded the House that economic problems must always be an important factor in any endeavours to bring about a better state of things in Europe. Economic agreement was much more likely to receive favourable consideration if it were preceded by some improvement in the ‘political situation beforehand. Referring to the visit of the French Prime Minister (M. Camille Chautemps) and Foreign Minister (M. Yvon Delbos) to London, Mr Chamberlain said’ that in these conversations there had been no attempt to break or weaken friendship or set up blocks or groups of Powers in opposition to one another. PEACE AS COMMON AIM

“We believe,” he added, “that different countries have different methods of managing their own affairs, but there is something common to them all—a desire to improve their own conditions. As we believe that fulfilment of that dSsire can be achieved only with the help of others and a real understanding and efforts to meet others’ needs, anything we can do to promote harmony and remove the legitimate causes of grievance among the nations may well bring its own reward.” The Prime Minister said that there had been a perceptible lessening in the tension in Europe in the last six months, largely because the Spanish situation had become less acute, and the British Government’s attitude had contributed largely towards that end. Mr Chamberlain agreed with Major Attlee that Italy’s withdrawal from the League was making very little real difference to the situation. Britain would continue to give the League her warmest support in the belief that it could still afford the nucleus for a better and more comprehensive organization for the maintenance of peace. Major Attlee had expressed disquiet at the range and character of the propaganda of certain foreign countries outside their own frontiers, and referring to this part of Major Attlee’s speech Mr Chamberlain said that the British Government fully realized the seriousness of the methods of propaganda and that it was absolutely necessary that Britain should take measures to protect herself against constant misrepresentations abroad. The Leader of the Liberal Opposition (Sir Archibald Sinclair), who followed Mr Chamberlain, took up the latter’s remark—replying to an interjection by Major Attlee—that Britain could not be policeman of the world alone and that the Opposition was blind to the fact that other countries refused to

rally to the British lead in support of the League. Sir Archibald thought this statement was in itself a confession of the failure of the Government’s foreign policy. He called for a strong policy in defence of British interests in the Far East