PRIME MINISTER’S REPLY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 August 1939, Page 8

PRIME MINISTER’S REPLY

Steps in Building of Peace Front HOPES OF FULL AGREEMENT WITH SOVIET (Britis]) Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.58 p.m.) RUGBY, July 31. Air Chamberlain, upon rising In speak after Sir A. Sinclair and Dr Dall oh in Ihe House of Commons foreign affairs debate, was received with Ministerial cheers. Answering the criticisms of the previous speakers, Mr Chamberlain said that anything more agreeable to our potential enemies than a suggestion that the Prime Minister was weaker than the Foreign Secretary in his determination in carrying out the policy which the Foreign Secretary had announced, on behalf of the Government, he. could not imagine.

Mi- Chamberlain, after detailing 1 steps taken since March to build up the peace front, said theie was no secret about the fact that the Soviet, Britain and France combined had not hitherto been able to agree upon a definition satisfactory to all parties of the term “indirect aggression.’ ’ If Britain had not agreed so far with the Soviet, it was because the proposals the Soviet favoured appeared to Britain to carry an impression of a desire to encroach upon the independence of other States.

The Soviet preferred to sign nothing and initial nothing until complete agreement had been obtained, and as a result the British Government was not able to present the world with even a provisional agreement at an earlier stage. Referring to the decision to send a military mission to Moscow, Mr Chamberlain said M. Molotov had expressed the view that if these military conversations were begun, political differences should not prove insuperable. “It certainly is the sincere hope oi France and ourselves,’’ he added, “that these anticipations of M. Molotov will be realised .and that we shall find it possible to agree, not only in substance but also in form, upon the remaining political differences.’’ Referring to Danzig. Mr Chamberlain said Britain’s attitude and determination were clearly defined in his own statement of July 10. The local situation in Danzig was obviously one which required very careful watching, but some reports in the Press about the extent of militarisation undoubtedly had been, exaggerated.