ENDING AGGRESSION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20091, 10 November 1939, Page 11

ENDING AGGRESSION

BRITISH INSISTENCE LABOUR PARTY VIEW (British Official Wireless.) . Reed. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY, Nov. 8. In a speech in which he set forth “Labour’s peace aims,” the leader of the Labour Party, Major C. R. Attlee, referred to the neutral offer of good offices and said: “We appeal to the people of all countries who equally long for peace and we appeal especially to the people of Germany, in whose hands lies the decision as to whether or not millions of men, women- and children are to suffer death.

“Herr Hitler has started this war, but he can only continue it if the German people continue it and if the German people continue to support him. Peace is obtainable now, provided thgre is an abandonment of aggression and recognition of the rights of all nations and all peoples. “We do not seek the destruction or dismemberment of Germany. We wish no ill to the German people. We are ready to welcome them into the family of nations.” It was a condition of any peace settlement that there should be in Germany a Government that could be trusted. Then the way to peace would be open. It rested with the German people to open the way. Major Attlee declared that anyone who urged that the war should be ended at any price was no real friend of peace. The fact that Poland had been overrun and Russia, after years of denouncing fascism and aggression, had now turned round and made friends with the aggressor, and shared in the spoils made no difference to the essential issue that, if civilisation was to survive, aggression must be brought to an end.