PEACE DESIRED

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 106, 29 January 1935, Page 9

PEACE DESIRED

Feeling in Germany at Present LORD ALLEN’S VIEW Anxiety For Armaments Equality BRITAIN MIGHT PLAY PART By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Received January 28, 7.10 p.m.) London, January 28. Lord Allen of Hurtwood, a close friend of Air. Ramsay MacDonald, has returned from an unofficial visit to Berlin. where he interviewed Herr Hitler, Dr. Goebbels, Minister for Propaganda, Baron von Neurath, Foreign Minister, and other leaders. He told the "Daily Telegraph” that his talk with. Herr Hitler was confidential, but he was free to summarise the outstanding features of what he learned in Germany. ‘‘Germany at present passionately desires peace,” .lie said. “If we took her at her word and restored her to equal sovereign status she would resume her part in international cooperation. Owing to Germany’s lack of armaments there is no risk in believing what she says. In a few years it will be too late. “Germany is in an intensely emotional mood owing to resentment at being the only first-class I’ower to be ‘singled out for special treatment. She does not comprehend why, in 1935, when she is disarmed, she is hemmed in by hostile alliances, just as she was in 1914 when armed. “Germany was profoundly wounded when France rejected the armament compromise. Germany wants peace, not merely because she knows she would be 'crushed in war but because her post-war generation is more interested in domestic experiments than external aggression. Herr Hitler is anxious to negotiate direct with France. If this does not clear the situation Britain might play a vital part. “Britain’s prestige in Germany is now tremendous. Germany hopes we will more clearly express our view on the rights and wrongs of her armaments position. German rearmament is proceeding steadily. The only remaining question is whether we will bring about an arms convention which Germany can accept or let matters drift into a preventible war.” WAYS TO WORLD PEACE Mr. A. Henderson’s Surveyin the presence of the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, and the Diplomatic Corps, Mr. Arthur Henderson, chairman of the Disarmament Conference at Oslo J last month, gave to a large audience his Nobel discourse entitled. 1 Essential elements of a universal and durable peace.” The address was a survey of what has been achieved and what remains to be done in the way cf ensuring fieace. Mr. Henderson concluded with an appeal for the creation of a world commonwealth. To a visitor from another planet, Mr. Henderson began, the world would present a spectacle as melanch.uy as bewildering. The visitor would see civilisation in danger of perishing under the oppression of a gigantic paradox: multitudes starving in the midst of plenty’ and nations preparing for war although pledged to peace. Perhaps the grimmest aspect of the great paradox was that the very nations chiefly responsible for starting and maintaining the Disarmament Conference were also the nations that had begun the new arms race. Mr. Henderson briefly tieiined tlie I great divisions among international re- ' lations as “first, economic -elations; second, the pacific settleim-m of dis- 1 putes; third, guarantees against war, ■' 4 including renunciation of war,' disarmament, and common action in restraint of the aggressor.” Two of the 1 most difficult aspects of .agonised 1 peace, he proceeded, were the question of security and the question ot'equality. Three years’ experience of the Disarmament Conference had convinc- j ed him that the settlement of these i two points was essential for a universal 1 and durable peace. The question ’ whether Germany could be‘induced to •, return to the Disarmament Conference ‘ turned on the settlement of these two ; issues. In regard to equality of rights. ( the objection raised in mauv quarters , to immediate application, on tie ground ; of the Hitler regime could n<’t be trust- , cd. It was therefore necessary to jioint .< out that the inferiority complex was i not limited to members of th- Govern- 1 ment but touched the entire German population. Already Dr. Bruning had declared that he wished to make clear that tlie “German Govermmmi cannot accept a convention unless its provisions are equally applicable to Germany ami other signatory States." Obviously, Herr Hitler could not accept anything less than Dr. Bruning's proposals. As a first step toward peace these must be an offer to achieve equality of rights in disarmament by abolishing weapons forbidden to the Central Powers by the Peace Treaties. This was possible only in return f or a eoni- . prehensive system of supervision and diplomatic, economic, and linaucial guarantees for the execution of a disarmament convention. The second step was a non-aggression treaty with a definition of aggression linked with tlie sanctions of tlie system of the League. Tlie third step was drastic international control of the trade in 'arms 1 and limitation of armament budgets. The fourth was tlie creation cf an international air police and Hie internationalisation of civil avia don. Another essential for universal peace was social justice and economic peace “But, if we contemplate ns the ultimate end a League which /ontrols tlie world’s economic life and tlie world’s ' armed forces,” Mr. Henderson contlnu. ed, “then we must frankly say that our , ultimate ideal is tlie creation of a world commonwealth. It is in the long run the only alternative to relapse into world war. The obstacles .-re formidable lint not insurmountable and what greater cause can he sei before the youth of the world than the endeavour 1 to bring into being a great common- ] wealth of the world as the visible em- | bodiment of the brotherhood of man?” i