NO TIME TO TALK OF PEACE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2780, 26 May 1916, Page 5

NO TIME TO TALK OF PEACE

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS SIR EDWARD GREY HITS OUT By Telegraph—Pres6 Association—Copyright (Rec. May 25, 7.40 p.m.) London, May 24. A remarkable debato developed in the House of Commons on the credit vote of -£300,000,000. Mr. A. A. W. H. Ponsonby (Liberal) declared that the Houso was entitled to discuss the diplomatic situation, and consider whether the differences between the Allies and the enemy were sufficiently great to be unbridgeable or justify tho continuance of this gigantic sacrifice. A deadlock had existed for some time, and he doubted whether the valour of our soldiers would prove to be tho deciding factor. Tho side which invented the most diabolical inachiio would be the most likely to win in modern warfare. Ho hoped that our statesmen would not imperil the future through diplomatic indecision and ineptitude. ..Ha believed that hostilities would continue for ever if they waited for Sir Edward Grey and Herr von Bethmann Hollweg to agree as to which side was blameworthy. The people ought to know if it was a fact that the war would" continue until Hie fall of Constantinople, or until some compact with the Allies had been fulfilled. He urged immediate negotiations, with a view to the termination of hostilities. Moral force, he said, to overcome physical violence in bringing tho nations through'sanity to peace. Mr. J. Ramsay Mac Donald supported the previous speaker. Our duty, he said, was to mako it clear to our, enemies what our intentions were.

Sir Edward Grey's Reply. Sir I'dvani Grey (Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs), in reply, said that ho was not prepared to deliver a comprehen-, sive reply, .but if they believed that the German Government and nation had arrived at the stage when the Allies could bring peace nearer by speeches, he would reply that they would speak without end. Ho did not that the time had come. . It was impossible to state what peace terms would be acceptable to our Allies until we had . consulted our Allies. Continuing, Sir Edward Grey said that the conference which, was proposed by Britain was not accepted by Germany when war threatened, because no goodwill existed. He wished that the Austrian and German Governments had published the reports of the Balkan Conference, whic'h. showed that Britain had acted in entire good faith, throughout. A pre-war conference should have been accepted with confidence and goodwill., He did not admit that the statements recently made by Herr von Bethmann Hollweg, in interviews,' showed a disposition to accept peaoe. If Germany wero prepared to offer terms, why. did sho not say so? Did etiquette stand in - tho way? "Herr von Bethmann Hollweg's definition, of Britain's attitude in the Bosnian difficulty was a first-class lie. It would be impossible to resort, to reason while the German people aro fed up with lies. Herr von Bethmann Hollweg has said that those who were responsible for the continuation of the war will be compelledto accept Germany's terms. That is a childish statement. Nations which refuse to accept peace terms Tegardless of their own interests cannot bo regarded as responsible for the continuance of the war. The Allies are not beaten, and are. not going to be beaten. "Jf," lie added, "any one of our Allies possessed a special right to sneak on the question of peace it was France, on whom the fury of the Germans had been concentrated for weeks at Verdun. Tho prowess of tlie French armies was saving Franco and her Allies. Was this tho moment for Britain to do anything except concentrate with determination her fullest energies in support of her Allies?" "What," he asked, "will future generations say if wo let this occasion for. establishing a durable, peace, based on international right, escape? The peaco w« accomplish must be such as will save tho world from a similar catastrophe in the future. We have not yet .reached the stftsro which enn offer any , prospect of making a durable peaco a reality."