A GLOOMY PICTURE

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1932, Page 10 (Supplement)

A GLOOMY PICTURE

THE -PAST TEN YEARS.

REVIEW BY LLOYD GEORGE.

London, May 13.

Speaking at a luncheon of the Foreign Press Association, in London, Mr. Lloyd George compared the present with ten years -ago. He painted a gloomy picture.

“Ten yeans ago!” he exclaimed. “What are the world conditions to-day? Can anyone place his hand upon his heart and say they are any better ? Economically, financially, they are worse. Over twenty, millions of unemployed. Countries which then were like a rock, reeling. A moratorium standing between many countries, great and .small. Trade restrictions, Customs barriers, quotas, exchange regulations, strangling international trade and gradually squeezing the breath of life out of its nostrils. ■ ‘‘As for international relations, I wonder whether they are better, whether there is hot a lowering menace on the horizon here and there. Taking the simple test of armaments —they are bigger, more powerful, more shattering than they were ten years ago. “There are two nations, members of the League of Nations, numbering among their people one-quarter of the population of the world, engaged in deadly conflict. A sword thrust into the side of one of them. by the other and still there; a sword aimed at., its heart, territorially invaded, Governments overthrown, and everybody powerless.

“Ten years of effort, ten years of handshaking, and ten years of complete agreement at every conference that has ever been held. We have never seen or heard of a conference yet that did not end in complete accord. (Laughter.) Complete agreement that you must have disarmament. Complete agreement that ■the disarmament must foe by somebody else. Complete agreement that you must remove these barriers against trade. Equally complete agreement that it is some-body else who has got to do it. That is the position of the world to-day..

“Ten years ago it was too soon for common sense to prevail. I wonder whether now, ten years after, it is not too late. I wonder more whether there is enough courage in the statesmanship of the world even now to propose only the remedies that Would put the world right. It is too early to expect brotherhood. It may not come t for generations, perhaps for ages, but it is not too soon for neighbourhod among nations. If .we are not brothers let us be neighbours, friendly, helpful.” ■ . ■ • . - •