DEBATE CONTINUED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 83, 5 October 1938, Page 13

DEBATE CONTINUED

RELIEF OF PEOPLE

NOT WITHOUT DOUBTS

EFFECTS OF POLICY

BRITAIN'S DANGER GREATER?

(British Official WUrelw.)

(Received October 5, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, October 4.

The debate in the House of Commons on the Munich agreement was continued for the Opposition today by Mr. Herbert Morrison, who suggested that the Ministers were under ■an illusion if they believed that the electorate, relieved as it was by the avoidance of war, would be prepared to accept what had happened without asking some searching questions.

His own case against the Government was that by a .policy of weakening the moral authority of the League of Nations and destroying the faith of small States in the collective system, and by an attitude of political discrimination against Eussia, it had brought Britain into a position of greater danger. The Government had turned away from building up a combination of peaceful Powers, and had left the nations which might have followed Britain and stood by her in collective action to draw the conclusion that they would be wiser to join up with tiie dictatorships. As a final step in this mistaken policy the Government bad acquiesced in weakening Czechoslovakia and in augmentation of Germany's strength by 400,000 trained men and £. 25,000,000 worth of -armatnentg. From being an asset on the side of peace as a quite important military Power loyally co-operating within the League, this policy had transformed Czechoslovakia into a debit in the form of a guarantee which it was proposed Britain should give of her «ew frontiers. He argued that: Mr. Chamberlain's insistence on the need for not relying on the programme of re-armament showed that Mr. Chamberlain was not satisfied that bis policy, would bring peace, Mr. Morrison was immediately answered by Dr. E. Leslie Burgin, Minister of Transport, who accused him of neglecting the facts of recent events and making the usual common form of attack on the foreign policy of the Government. Dr, Burgin said that the ordinary elector or man-in-the-street, contrary to Mr. Morrison's belief, was convinced that the greatest war the world had ever known had been averted through the actions of one man <—Mr. Chamberlain, (Received October 5, 1.15 pjtn.) LONDON, October 4. Mr. Morrison said that Labour did not desire war. against Germany or Italy and would co-operate with the Fascist Governments, if possible in the genuine promotion of peace. The Government had encouraged rather than discouraged aggression. Either it sympathised with or it feared the dictators, whose psychology was not understood. "I believe," said Mr. Morrijson, "that Herr Hitler frightened Mr. Chamberlain out of his life " ■'. ", ,_^,,__ ■■ i (British Official Wireless.* (Received October 5, 1.30 p.m.) RUGBY, October 4. The Minister of Transport, Dr. E. Leslie Burgin, recalled how the Premier's flight to visit Herr Hitler at Berchtesgaden three weeks ago captured the imagination of the whole world and planted the first seed of hope that war would be avoided. Mr. Chamberlain had had an unerring appreciation of German mentality. The idea of a direct personal talk between the heads of Governments made an instantaneous appeal to the German mind.

He showed yet a deeper understanding when he had, his important conversations with Herr Hitler at Berchtesgaden —a fact of enormous potential consequence. "At that meeting Mr. Chamberlain performed the miracle of converting the imminent risk of an armed occupation of Czechoslovakia into the possibility of a sensible discussion.

Dr. Burgin described Mr. Chamberlain's great act of courage when he was faced at Godesberg with an entirely unexpected demand that the occupation of the Sudetenland by German troops should take place immediately. He sent his cars back- from the hotel and Dr. Burgin claimed that this strong line had had a marked effect on the public opinion ol the world. World opinion had not been misled in the significance attaching to