NEW WAR CLOUDS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 225, 17 June 1919, Page 5

NEW WAR CLOUDS

OMINOUS STATEMENT BY LOED CUEZON.

■ Earl Curzon, member of the War Cabinet, made a grave statement .in tlft House of Lords recently wheu the new Bill for the extension of conscription until April 30, 1920, which-has been passed by' the Commons, w-as discussed.

• Lord Buckmaster, in opposing tho Bill, asserted, that in principle it ran counter to long-cherished traditions of the country and, was hostile to the feelings and opinions sincerely entertained by a large body of people. There was no doubt, as llr. Ohurchiil had admitted, that it was a direct and flat violation of pledges given by responsible Ministers at the election. For all practical purposes' tne war had ended on November 11. In his opinion the British Navy could enforce the terms of peace more- effectively than any army of occupation. ■ Ivnrl Ciirzon (Leader of the House) suid that Lord Buckmaster spoke only for a small and insignificant , minority of people. Was Lord Buckmaster sure that the war. really euded on November II ? Was. he .so. sure ..that, the conditions of war might not ugdin .revive? He (Lord Curzon) had no such confidence. He saw clouds hanging over the horizon which might burst upon.it at any. moment in a form even more/sinister than anything they had yet seen.. .He could not accept the noble lord's contention that there was no justification for the maintenance of the force contemplated by the Bill. Lord Buckmaster had "asked: How about the British Fleet?' There were many parts of Europe not accessible to the Navy. Shakespeare:once thought that Bohemia had a seaport. If Lord Buckmaster thought that any trouble which might break out in Germany could be effectively "controlled by ■ our fleet in the Baltic.without ,'tliu prosence of an army',- Lorft Curzon said that he held a view that was not shared by any responsible naval or military authority. ■: It was absolutely necessary .that our forces in the Middle East should be maintained for some time, and if tho noble lord could show tho Government how to govern Ireland without maintaining' 40,000 men in that country he would be conferring a great favour on them. For tho purpose of guarding.the Empire and securing the fulfilment of peace terms, tho Government proposed to keep an army of only 0*50,000 combatants.

Proceeding, Earl Curzou observed tint Lord Buckuituter said he had no confidence in Mr. Churchill, and. in describing that gentleman's abilities, ho had employed a wealth of almost as inexhaustible as that of his victim. (Laughter.)'-He seemed to think that the Cabinet were ineapuhle of • keeping .Mr. Churchill in order. The noble lord was in a Cabinet of which .Mr. Churchill was a member, and he could not recall that Lord Bnckmaster had made any attempt to keep Mr. Churchill in order. He utterly declined to admit that all virtue and capacity went out of the Govern merit v hen Lord t ßuckmaster left it. They netd not be afraid that the War Cabinet would be led astray by' Mr. Churchill. The Bill was read a second time with out a division.