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Chronicle (Levin), 18 March 1946, Page 5

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NEED FOR TOLERANCE MR. BEVIN'S APPEAL ■ Received Sunday."8.20 p.mr" LONDON, March 17. The three difteren'c phiiosophies of Britain, America and Russia would adjhst themselves in time if the nations were pationt and not dogmatic about them, declared Mr. Bevin in .a speech at a dinner at Port Talhot. ' ' If one or other seeks to destroy the others, then you get pandemonium," he contmued. "My task, therefore, will be to act, I hope, with firm conviction but toleration. ' ' Mr. Bevin emphasised that tliere were no greater friends in the world than Mr. Vyshinsky and himself. "I personally have never had a cross word with Mr. Vyshinsky, but when the problem is put on the table, then the facts as you see them must be stated and a decision taken, but there must he no personal feeling. We must carry out the spirit internation ally that you do not upset friends hecause you present your case foycihly " A\eferring to Mr. Churchill "s ■ Fulton speech, Mr. Bevin said: "I w'ant tc assure everyhody that there was no cpnsultation - with the Government. We were not a party thereto; Mr. ChurchiL made the speech i his own personal responsibility. I would say this: it would be a bad thing for foreign affairs if a nation 's foreigii policy tiuned not on its foreign policy but on a speech that some individual might inake. 1 think that would he extremely dangerous.' ' Mr. Bevin emphisised that the Government's foreign policy was defined in his speech in the Ilouse of Commons on t'ebruary 21, in which he revealed that, I as far as Russia was concerned, he was vvilling to advoc?te a 50-year British Russian treaty of friendship. "I beg my friends not to ridicule it. it was seriously proposed and seriously meant. I am willing to pursue it, not withstanding all disappointments that may come." DEFENCE RESPONSIBILITIES Mr. Bevip dwelt on the difilculties that would come in the next two years when the defence organisation and Jnited Nations came to he discussed. "As you build up military committees and take your responsibilities for the defence of the world as a whole, many of the things which now present Sharp and acute difficulties will disappear. Do not turn your attention too much to a particular speech. The right thing to do in foreign affairs, I think, is from time to time to state your policy in well-considered statements, as it evolves, to the House of Commons and from the Commons to the country a'- 1 to the world. ' ' Mr. Bevin concluded: "I do not helieve the world wants war again. I never knew when the world did want war. Every time war has broken out, if it had been left to a free vote of the people, it would never have happened. I will do nothing to set ono lot of people against another; I wiL do nothing that even savours of aggression and I appea] to other countries, whateven their historical reasons, to eschew aggression, either by propaganda wars of nerves or by action which keeps* other countries on the jump. I appeal to them — and in the name of God, humanity has earned it — to let the old world settle down,"