WORK FOR PEACE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20611, 28 December 1936, Page 14

WORK FOR PEACE

PLANS OF LORD CECIL Lord Cecil, of Chelwood, who was in Manchester recently to address a luncheon-hour meeting in the Men’s Union of the University, explained in a short conversation with a representative of the “Manchester Guardian” what steps are being taken to organise the International Peace Campaign in Britain. The object of the campaign, he said, was to create in every country a national committee which would consist of representatives of those societies and bodies interested in peace. Working through their societies, they will organise public opinion in favour of peace through the League of Natons, on the basis of the four principles agreed upon at the Brussels Peace Conference.

The British Committee, of which Lord Cecil, the representative on it of the League of Nations Union, is president, is already in existence, but there is a certain amount of discussion about the relationship between it and the League of Nations Union. As far as its executive committee is concerned, said Lord Cecil, the League of Nations Union is resolved to support the movement. In what way, Lord Cecil was asked, will the work of the British Committee differ from that of the League of Nations Union? In England, he replied, the work of the two bodies will not be essentially different because the League of Nations Union already worked with other societies. They did, however, differ in two respects. In the first place many societies were connected with the Union incidentally, whereas the International Peace Campaign Committee was composed of their representatives. The second and more important difference was that it is a definite part of an international organisation. “Everything that we do here,” said Lord Cecil, “must be coordinated with what is going on in other countries.” "Is this the first international peace organisation?” Lord Cecil was asked. “There was the International Federation of League of Nations Societies,” he replied, “but that has never been very successful. Yes, this is the first international organisation for peace only.” A question which it seemed natural

to ask Lord Cecil was whether, in view of the behaviour of Italy and the severance of Germany from the League, he did not feel discouraged. “No,” he replied with conviction. “Unfortunately, the countries ruled by dictators have adopted an ideology—l understand that is the popular word for it—which is inconsistent with peace. That is no reason why the ideology should not be changed. There is no reason why a dictator shoul I not be in favour of peace and international organisation, though it happens that in Italy and Germany they are hostile to these things. I hope that will change. At any rate the door of international organisation will be kept wide open for them to come in if and when they please. As Mr Winston Churchill said, to talk of the encirclement of Germany is nonsense. Germany has only ot come in and encirclement is at an end.”