FOREIGN POLICY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 117, 20 May 1939, Page 10

FOREIGN POLICY

BROKEN GERMAN PROMISES

NO ELEMENT OF AGGRESSION

(By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright.)

(Received May 20, 1 p.m.)

LONDON, May 19

In the course of his speech in the House of Commons, Mr. Chamberlain said that Britain's policy had developed along new lines after the absorption of Bohemia and Moravia. "I don't know whether the German Government itself realised when it took this action," he- said, "what tremendous , repercussions, it would cause abroad. I think that what profoundly disturbed the public mind everywhere, even more than the annexation,-was the patent contradiction between those proceedings and the assurances which Germany frequntly and solemnly gave the world. This, contradiction completely undermined the sense of security throughout Europe and created the widespread feeling that the independence of no small State was safe if it stood in the way of German ambition. It was in these circumstances that Britain thought it her duty, in conjunction with France, to intervene and try to supply a new stabilising factor. It was necessary to act quickly because the apprehension of attack was acute in certain quarters. STRENGTHENING ASSURANCES. - "We took the course which was generally approved, acted ourselves promptly, and gave the steadying support of assurances where they were most needed. It will thenetfore be seen that the assurances we first gave to Poland, Eumania, and Greece were not the end of the measures we had in mind. It still remains to strengthen them by more permanent arrangements and try to obtain additional support from other quarters which are willing and able to help. This is not a policy of lining up opposing blocs of European Powers animated by hostile intentions one to another, nor of accepting the view that war is inevitable. I shall never regard war as inevitable until it has begun. The policy of opposing blocs seems to us to be essentially and therefore fundamentally dangerous. There is no element of aggression in our policy, which is one of precaution, operating under conditions which others have the power to make it unnecessary, but this policy seems to be necessary at present because without it we do not see a prospect of establishing a sense pf security or stability in Europe."