The Daily News SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1935. PUBLIC OPINION.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1935, Page 4

The Daily News

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1935. PUBLIC OPINION.

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Many years ago a former Bishop of London, Dr. M. Creighton, who was a brilliant historian as well as a high ecclesiastic, chose as the subject of one of a series of public addresses the causes and the influence of public opinion. All through the ages, he contended, when the big things of history occurred, despite the wills and the whims of conquerors or tyrants, the power of public opinion was usually evident, and as civilisation developed the basis of that opinion widened until it now included every law-abiding citizen in Britain’s democracy. Dr. Creighton argued also that although public opinion had often been swayed to wrong purposes, there was justification, as enlightenment became more general, for the belief that as a rule public opinion in a nation’s crises could be trusted to take the right course. There has been an unmistakable manifestation of the power of public opinion in Great Britain this week, when for the second time within six months a Foreign Secretary has had to relinquish office for lack of the support of public opinion. Sir John Simon, Foreign Secretary in the former National Government, was transferred from that office because he was considered to have been inefficient and indifferent in upholding the Empire’s influence at the League of Nations and elsewhere. , His successor, Sir Samuel Hoare, has left the Ministry ,because he proposed to use that influence in support, to some extent, of a nation that had broken the rules of international intercourse. His career is the best reply to any suggestion that in joining Great Britain to an unjust proposal Sir Samuel was actuated by unworthy motives. His explanation of that action was lucid, frank and given with a . full sense of personal responsibility. Sir Samuel saw the danger of England being left to face not only warfare with Italy, but the responsibility of having put the torch to the “barrel of gunpowder,” as conditions in Europe to-day might well be described. It was not fear of Italy but fear of the unleashing of hostilities of which no man could foresee the outcome, and fear also that once more individual action would be forced upon Great Britain instead of the collective action of which the League of Nations is the interpreter and should be the active and forceful agent. These were, grave considerations, and became the more momentous when Britain’s chief ally, in the Great War would give no assurance that if the danger of war were faced by Britain and other members of the League, France wotild be found ready and (Willing to take her share in the troubles that might follow such 1 action. In the endeavour to find a basis upon which peace negotiations might commence Sir Samuel appears to have overlooked the weakening of the League’s authority involved in' the suggestions submitted to Italy and Ethiopia by M. Laval and himself as intermediaries on behalf of the League. All the rights of the original dispute do not belong to Ethiopia, but Italy’s method of seeking redress has put her claim out of Court until she is ready to acknowledge the authority of the collective system she has defied. The timidity of such temporising with aggression, its negation of the support of solemn agreement, and its prostitution of the collective action to which Great Britain is pledged have aroused public opinion as few actions of an individual statesman have aroused it for many years. A storm of protest has driven Sir Samuel Hoare from office. It may serve also to clear the air in France and Italy. So far the fruits of timidity have been additional defiant utterances from, the Italian Dictator. If public opinion in England and elsewhere can convince Signor Mussolini, as it has others in the past, that it is not a force to be ignored it will retain the position accorded it in history and that pre-sent-day conditions demand.