WHITHER BRITAIN?

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19999, 26 July 1939, Page 10

WHITHER BRITAIN?

APPEASEMENT AIM ANGLO-JAP. AGREEMENT STRONG LABOUR CRITIC EMPIRE NEEDS POWER SIR A. NO AT A OUTSPOKEN (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Discussing the agreement reached between Britain and Japan, Mr. R. McKeen (Lab.. Wellington .South) expressed grave doubts in the House of Representatives yesterday concerning its effect on Britain’s prestige. He also expressed the opinion that the influence of international financiers had been the predominating factor behind the agreement. Mr. McKeen said that the humiliation of British subjects at the hands of the Japanese had been the cause of much concern throughout the Empire. Many Englishmen felt that a grievous injury had been clone to tne prestige of their nation. They felt also that they were entitled to demand redress for the actions taken by Japan, and a feeling for revenge had been finding expression throughout the Empire. Only a few months ago the Empire had Ihe spectacle of the Munich pact. Would the results from the agreement with Japan be similar to those arising from the Munich agreement. He did not have the slightest doubt that the influence of international financiers was behind it. Mr. 11. S. S. Kyle (Nat., Riccarton): Are you condemning Britain? Mr. McKeen: I am wondering where we are going. We must all feel strongly about tire sort of thing that has been going on. Policy in Europe He added that Britain’s policy in Europe had been to concede, concede, concede. After the Munich pact came the statement that Britain would concede no more, but even that statement had not been carried out. On 1 ho assurance that action would be taken to stop the march of aggressors, the nations of the Empire began to build up their armaments to make themselves ready to stand in line with the Mother Country, but now these nations did not know where they were being led. “We thought we were to prepare ourselves to face the mad dog of Europe and the axis Powers that are out to trample the civilised world just for the sake of power,” continued Mr. McKeen. “Are we now to be dragged by the heels by a policy which the British Government is pleased to call appeasement?” Mr. W. P. Endean (Nat., ParnelP: What can New Zealand do about it? Mr. W. J. Poison (Nat.. Stratford): Do you think we can light the Japanese with bulldozers? Mr. M.cKcon retorted that New Zealand had the right to express an

opinion on a decision of that sort. Mr. J. Hargest (Nat., Awaruat: You I know the alternative, of course. I Mr. McKeen: I know that if future' negotiations are carried on in lire same way the Empire will go slithering and sliding down hill. hi a vigorous defence of the actions of the British Government, Mr. W. A Bodkin (Nat., Central Otago) said that the only alternative to what had been done was war. He deprecated any attempt to condemn England. Did the Labour members consider that a policy should have been adopted that would result in war? The New Zealand Government had made it clem that in no circumstances would it asa a soldier to leave New Zealand tc fight on a foreign field. What was it doing to prepare this country if wt were involved m war? The position had been placed clearly before the country last week by the mem'oei foi Awarua. He had made out a strong case that had not been answered. Noi one member of the Labour Party had attempted to contradict it. Position Alarming Sir Apirana Ngata referred to the British-Japiane.se agreement. “Are va not in a very humiliating position ;oday, as a part of the British commonwealth?" lie asked. “One does not altogether know what has happened at Tokio, but. reading between the lines, the position is very alarming and suggests that we are going • into retreat from the position that the British commonwealth of nations has consistently taken up long before 1 was born.

“What has happened to it now? After the war to end war,” Sir Apirana Ngata continued, “one could feel ‘lie relaxing going on all over the world. The whole talk was of disarmament, and this was the foundation of tile League of Nations, but nci of Lie Treaty, of Versailles.” “Fools’ Paradise” It was a kind of fools' paradise we had built after the war, he added, but at the very termination of that war the so-called Christian nations lax the seeds of discontent which produced the Hitlers and Mussolinis of to-day. The whole trouble with the Britis Empire, he said, was that it was conceited enough to consider it was the chosen people and proclaimed that good had at last triumphed over evf It forgot that, in the process of expansion, the Empire bad trodden uper the corns of other nations and bar aroused their jealousies. It had established a precedent that others were not to be allowed to follow, and this from an Empire founded on blood, iron and rapine, an Empire expanck by ruthlessness and the treading down of the primitive peoples. The Empire should remember it was built on the gospel of might and wchild only, survive as long as it kept its armour bright. Sir Apirana Ngata suggested tha‘ the Maori pioneer battalion should be revived.