DEMAND FOR PEACE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 14 November 1927, Page 6

DEMAND FOR PEACE

“WAR MUST END” BRITAIN’S DETERMINATION. NEW AND UNEXPECTED SUPPORT FOR DISARMAMENT. London, November 12. There must be no more war. With surprising swiftness this determination has espread all over Britain on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of the armistice. New and unexpected support for disarmament is forthcoming from practically the entire press. A dangerous drift into war talk had been most apparent. Even last week people spoke almost glibly of the next war. Great journalists and statesmen were found dangerously discussing its form and type. Responsible journals published elaborate details. Dean Inge wrote informatively and ruthlesslv of the terrors of the next war. accepting as inevitable the fact, rather than condemning war talk, which is most likely to lead to war. To-day, with the memory of the million dead and the stark recollection of the workless and homeless heroes, wives and -dependents, comes an almost incredible clamour for Deace and disarmament, excelling anything since the war time. First comes the scathing authoritative denunciation from such a great soldier as Sir William Robertson, who, when on tho eve of 50 years’ military career, denounced war in such terms scarcely ever heard from the lips of a great soldier. He described it as ghastly and useless destruction. A REMARKABLE LETTER A great thinker such as H. G. Wells penne da remarkable letter to the Liberal candidate at the Southend bv-elction, dclaring that the Baldwin Government was heading straight for war. and adding that, though he himself voted Labour, he would vote Liberal in order to make a straight-out contest and give a Liberal victory. He stated: "It is the business of every man to end immediately the dangerous drift towards armament and aggression." z Sir John Simon made a startling denunciation of Britain’s trend towards another war in an armistice speech to-night. He declared: "Though we condemned as unspeakable barbarity the bombing of towns twelve years ago. we are to-day deliberately preparing and practising to do the same thing. Our own War Office is storing up mustard gas. Are we .also sure we are not contemplating infamously submarining merchantmen, which we so vigorously condemned recently? "War must end. Vague aspirations towards peace axe useless. The new generation is growing up with the view that war is inevitable.” ANGLO-AMERICAN RIVALRY. Viscount Grey, in outspoken comment on the Anglo-American, naval rivarly said: u Th n longer the idea of parity between the British and American fleets continues, the more difficult the situation will grow it will result in the two nations building against one another, even if they are not doing so now.’’ Viscount Grey added: "It is extraordinary io recall that when w e framed our naval programmes before the war, no account was taken of the United States Navy. What reason has arisen since the war to make lis regard war against the United States as a contingency?"

Miss Wilkinson, M.P.. declared that the people were filled with horror that the enormous sum of £115,000,000 was F-»nt annually on 1 Britain’s war services, while the whole of Europe was spending £500,000,000 a year preparing for the next war.

Mr J. H. Thomas. M.P.. speaking at Derby, said no one in politics or statesmanship was happy about the situation. There were 10,000.000 more armed men to-dav than in 1914. Worse still, the warlike spirit was abroad.

A vigorous demand for the nation to drop war talk it found In the editorials of all newspapers.—(A and N.Z.)