CARE NEEDED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20060, 5 October 1939, Page 7

CARE NEEDED

PEACE TALKS LLOYD GEORGE NO HURRIED DECISION CHAMBERLAIN AGREES PHASES CRITICISED DUFF COOPER’S VIEWS (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 2.50 p.m. RUGBY, Oct. 3. “I sympathise with the Prime Minister’s attitude,” said Mr. D. Lloyd George (Ind. Lib., Carnarvon) during the debate which followed Mr. Neville Chamberlain's speech in the House of Commons to-day concerning the war situation “If peace were dependent upon the word of Herr Hitler 1 am afraid that we should have no alternative but to proceed until we got some other better and more assured guarantee.” On the assumption, which he made clear was based solely on newspaper reports, that the proposals would go beyond the matters dealt with in the joint declaration of the Nazi and Soviet Governments, Mr. Lloyd George suggested that the Government should not reach a hurried decision upon them. Mr. Chamberlain' replied at once. He said the questions of Mr. Lloyd George were based on a good many hypotheses. “At present all we have had is ah indication that some proposal may be made,” said . Mr. Chamberlain. “I could not anticipate what the nature of these proposals might be. We can all speculate as to what their nature might be. “All that I wanted to-say was that at present we have received no such proposal of such a detailed and comprehensive character as Mr. Lloyd George suggests. Circumstances Not Yet Arisen “On the other hand, it is quite possible that an offer might prove to be one which no self-respecting Government would consider at all. I think it would really be wrong of me to say what the Government would do- in circumstances which have not yet arisen. I would only say this | Mr. Lloyd George says: ’lf such a j proposal were put forward do not be j in a hurry to give it an answer.’ “I quite agree. I see no reason why we should be in a hurry to give an answer to any proposal which appears to require serious consideration. I see no reason at all why the House should not have ample opportunities of seeing any proposals that might be put forward, or considering them and hearing from the Government what it would, recommend the House to approve by way of answer. Let me once more repeat that no such proposal has yet come to us, and I think it would be premature to build any hopes on the likelihood of any such proposal being madealthough the House will realise that no man would welcome more wholeheartedly than myself any proposal which I could really feel had achieved the aims which I have described as being the aims of this Government ■and this country.” Reiterated Mis-statements Alluding to the reiterated misstatements of German bombing planes and units of the Home Fleet, Mr. Chamberlain said the Germans had claimed the sinking of the aircraft carrier, H.M.S. Ark Royal later changed to the Glorious or even the Furious—and severe damage to battleships without loss to themselves, but the facts were that no British ship was damaged and all of them, the Arlc Royal included, were* carrying out their normal duties Mr. A. Duff Cooper (Con., St. George’s), criticised Mr. Lloyd George’s intervention on the grounds that his words might be interpreted abroad as suggested surrender—an interpretation which was immediately and vigorously repudiated by Mr Lloyd George himself, who observed“lt is very important, since he says my words carry beyond this country, that I should say emphatically, 1 would be the last man to say surrender. Mine is a totally different proposal. I think the House should consider whether there should be a conference of nations, including the United States, to consider all these proposals.” Nevertheless subsequent speeches showed that most members shared Mr. Duff Cooper’s view that Mr. Lloyd George’s remarks were unfortunate as being liable to misinterpretation and only one or two members belonging to a - small group of five or six members of Parliament with declared Pacifist convictions welcomed his intervention.