EUROPE’S BIG ARMAMENTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1928, Page 4

EUROPE’S BIG ARMAMENTS.

MR LLOYD GEORGE ON .MINORITIES’.

TREATY CLAUSES TRAMPLED ON

(London Paper). .Mr Lloyd George, at an Aldwvch Club luncheon replied to a speech delivered at the eluh’s last 'luncheon liv Sir Austen Chamberlain, the Foreign Secretary. Mr Lloyd George said : ‘•Sir Austen CLaniberlnin is an old friend and an old colleague of mine. He was good enough to say kind things about my services iu the war, but he more than neutralised that compliment by a very elaborate attack which he made upon my efforts to establish peace. “Tie is disposed to imagine that Local-no was the first and the final step. Locarno was the beginning of the new world. Belore Locarno, chaos. Europe, before Locarno, was without li.rni and void, and darkness filled the earth. Then Locarno —and lo 1 there was light. (Laughter).

••When the Locarno Treaty was reported to the House of Commons I said it was essential Lint it should be treated as a basis for disnrrmamcnt and arbitration, and that unless it was it would ho nothing better than a slobbering melodrama. 'Unit is my view at the present moment. •‘Sir Austen made three allegations against me. He says that lam ignorant of the Treaties. That is odd. I spent six months wit:i president Wilson, Signor Oilando, and especially M. Clemonceau framing the treaties.”

DISARMAMENT PLEDGES. As to the second accusation, that 1 raised hones which cannot he tulfilled, what are they ? ’I no first was that the Allied and conquering countries would fulfil the solemn pledges they gave ul Versailles, that German, Austrian, and Bulgarian disarmament would he followed by disarrmanienb of tire con-

quering countries. Who excited that hope? 1 have here the document which all the Allied representatives sent to Germany before they signed the 'I realy. Listen to this, the military clause: ■■The Allied and Associated Powers wish to make it dear that their re-

quirements in regard to German ni moments were not made solely with the object of rendering it impossible for Germany to resume her policy ol military aggression; tl.cv are also the first step towards (hat general reduction and limitation of iirmn mcnl s

which they seek to bring about as one of the most fruitful preventives id war and which will he one ol the first duties of the League of Nations to promote.” is that exciting a false hone? It is a hope excited by the grcatesl nations of the world through their representatives—signed, scaled, and delivered to Germany. Is that denied? The next hope I excited which ‘'cannot. he. fulfilled” is that disputes between nations would, if negotiations failed, he referred for settlement not to machine gnus, cannons, bombs and poison gas. but to peaceful arbitration based on right, reason and judgment. Ts that a false hone? If it is, God help the world. It is a hope we ventured to put in the Covenant of the League of Nations, and it is enshrined there.”

THE TAGGED ENDS. The third hope whs that jagged cuds of flic Treaty which are causing irritation. disturbing the peace of the nations, would he put right and smoothed through the agency ol the League. That hope was excited hv a letter written hv M. Cleinencean on behalf of President Wilson. Signor Orlando, and myself to the German delegates before they ever signed the document.

Does Sir Austen Chamberlain now on behalf of the British Government say that those are three hopes that cannot he fulfilled? Tf he does, all I can say is it is the most serious condemnation of his foreign policy that has ever been uttered by friend or by

Whereas the nations had pledged themselves to follow the example we forced on Germany, by disarming themselves, they have taken no steps to do so.

The conquering nations in the Great War. ineluding tibo nations which come in when they were quite sure v,e were going to conquer—(laughter — have at the present moment in the aggregate ever 1C,COT),000 of trained men better equipped for war than thev were in 101 I.

We disarmed Germany. Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria, and said. “As soon as you disarm wo will follow youi example.” They have in the aggregate about -200.000 to 300.000 soldiers not very well equipped, and the other countries have still gut 10.ft00.000.

MINORITIES IGNORED. Territories in Europe have been annexed by force without the consent of the League of Nations or of the Supreme Council. Is that denied ? I say that those annexations as long as thev remain will he a menace to peace in the world. Is that denied?

Wo put in the Treaty of Versailles provisions for the protection of minoiities in the new and re-created territories. There were clauses tp protect their race, religion and traditions. Those clauses have been trampled upon. Is that denied:-' If it is. what is the meaning of all that inquiry which Sir Austen himself presided over at the last meeting of the League of Nations? These are matters so important that unless they are put right the peace of Europe will ho menaced.

The god who is always piling incense on his own altar is a sorry spectacle. I really wish he (Sir Austen) would cultivate a little more detachment and not take himself quite so seriously. IE id ess lEurope advances beyond Locarno —it is a -step unless the advance be towards arbitration and disarmaments, I sav, from a lone knowledge of the conditions in Kuropo war is inevitable. Why. there is no agreement among the signatories themselves about Locarno.

Let Sir Austen "face these problems. He lias rested long enough at Locarno. It is no use standing on the shore of Maggiore, like a stork on one leg, looking very satisfied because he has swallowed oiio troutli. . .{Laughter), Let him lift up ins kings' and proceed ou his pilgrimage of peace.