PEACE PLEA

Taranaki Daily News, 23 March 1935, Page 7

PEACE PLEA

CRISIS IN EUROPE GERMANY’S CHALLENGE DUTY CAST UPON BRITAIN SAVING OF CIVILISATION LABOUR LEADER SPEAKS British Wireless. Rugby, March 21. The forthcoming Ministerial conversations at Berlin and elsewhere were the subject of a brief and restrained debate in the House of Commons to-day. Mr. G. Lansbury, Labour Leader, said that the events in Germany during the week-end had caused a shock and a feeling akin to despair, almost comparable with what happened in 1914. The nations of Europe should be made to understand that the British Government’s policy was peace, based not on re-arm-ament but on disarmament. “Germany has flung down a new challenge to the world, demanding not only equal rights and privileges with other nations but the right to tear up the Versailles Treaty and embark ,on a policy of armaments which is bound to lead to an armaments race and ultimately plunge us into war and destroy civilisation,” he continued. “The Government, the House and everyone must recognise the imperative duty of making the greatest effort, to save civilisation. (Cheers). Sir John Simon should go to Berlin with a new mandate. “I want our . country to take the lead in telling the world that the British Empire is willing to lay on the altar of disarmament the whole business of aerial warfare, and that, along with other nations, we are willing to abandon it everywhere and in all circumstances for good.” IN PROPER PROPORTIONS. “If we do this other things will fall into proper proportions. Labour is convim— ’ that aerial warfare threatens the whole future of mankind. If this offer is not accepted we should at any rate have shown the world that we are in real earnest. We want Sir John Simon at Berlin to say that when we agreed to the re-arming of Germany we did not agree to re-arming in the fashion she is now proposing. (Cheers). “Labour is convinced that the British and other Governments committed a great blunder in not reassembling another world economic conference. Until the international economic relations are put on a different footing, there cannot be peace and security. (Cheers). _ If tAe world mobilised its raw materials and organised its markets it would be infinitely better than all the fiddling quotas and restrictions. There is room for materials and markets enough in the world for everyone if properly organised. i

“In 1914-1918 a big price was paid on the cry that war was the only way to cast out militarism, but war cannot cast out war. I appeal to the House not to allow months to slip away until we are plunged into another war. The only way to root out war is to make peaceful arrangements, not for the benefit of just our nation, but for , the whole world.” ‘ ■ i,-. w. Sir Herbert Samuel, Liberal Leader, said in describing the effect on the minds of the British people of the German declaration, Mr. Lansbury had in no degree used language of exaggeration. FRANK DISCUSSIONS. Sir John Simon, Foreign Secretary, said he hoped to have frank discussions with the German Chancellor, for the visit called for complete frankness and discussion of the sort that could not be preceded a public rehearsal. The series of visits would be exploratory in character. He recalled the terms of the London o f February 3, the tone of which was recognised by Germany as fair and friendly and following which an invitation was extended for the present visit. He had thought it necessary to make it entirely clear that the scope end purpose of the visit should not be limited to some particular item raised in the London communique, but that the meeting should have before it the full widtfy of its subject ’after. There were to be four points of discussion, namely, exchanges of vi ws on security, on armaments, on the return of Germany to t —-ue and on the proposed air pact. It was only when an assurance was forthcoming on the German side that the discussions should be as wide as that that Britain communicated with the other Governments. Not only were these four topics thus marked down, but it was the basis of the proposed visit that they should be discussed with a view to ultimately reaching a solution by agreement. It was in those circumstances that the events occurred at the end of last week which Mr. Lansbury referred to in such grave and appropriate terms. It had inevitably provoked protests from the British, French and Italian Governments. The very grave question arose as to the proper course to take.

It obvious that unilateral action inevitably raised a question as to the value of agreements, and that was a bad preparation for future agreement, but. he suggested that the course the Government had tried to take with reference to this most grave event was the wiser one. To refuse to cancel the engagement would lead nowhere. They therefore had demanded an assurance that th« scope of the conversations should be in no way restricted. The present state of suspicion and unrest in Europe could not be allayed without security by negotiation and agreement on all four matters mentioned, and in those circumstances, having mac that reservation and protest, the Government had taken the view that it was necessary and right to continue the discussions. Sir John offered no observation on the date of the German announcement, but its nature and contents, which threw such a disturbing light on the prospect of settlement by agreement, demanded notice. Sir John said that the figure indicated by the German declaration of the nation’s effectives was so large and so considerable an advance over the figures suggested less than a year ago, and, indeed, exceeded what any Power in Western Europe at the present time could match, that it raised grave doubts as to whether, if such figures were persisted in, agreement with some of Germany’s neighbours would be possible. gir John said they would go to Berlin determined to do everything Britain could do to promote peace and secure It. The objects of the British policy throughout had been to help bring this great State back into the councils of und the community of Europe on terms i lJfi t to her and fair and secure for all, that she, with her great talent and resources, r-ight contribute with a full sense of equal status and dignity to the tasjc which every good European who wanted peace had to share. "What we are str! 'ing for is increased between the European

States,” added Sir John. "We are not contemplating any special agreement between Britain and any other. The visits to Berlin, Moscov. and ’Warsaw do not mean ‘hat we have turned our backs on Paris, Rome, Brussels or Geneva.” (Chews).