THE WAR SPIRIT

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1928, Page 6

THE WAR SPIRIT

BRITISH STATESMEN’S VIEWS

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright).

LONDON, October 27

“ I doubt if any people have subdued the war spirit more than the British,” said Mr.,Stanley Baldwin, the Prime Minister, at a great gathering at the Albert Hall on the occasion of the League of Nations Union. He added that, as the result of the work of the- League of Nations, an international jurisprudence was being built up to which the strongest nations would have to conform. He must contradict the idea—for which- there was no shadow of foundation —that Britain, to some extent -bad- abandoned: the position of rinpartiality and conciliation which she had assumed at the time of the Locarno Pact. The policy of the Government was to help to complete the great post-war task of eliminating mutual rivalries and suspicions.

Viscount Grey declared that more than one war had already been averted by a recourse to the League of Nations. We had made no new entanglements. There was no change in the orientation of our policy.

“ If you think,” he said, “you are going to defeat the tilings that culminate in hatred and in war without a spiritual fight, you are foredoomed to failure.”

Lord Grey added: “The tiger in us all must be eliminated if the state is to survive.” He did not mention the building, of ships in competition with the United States.

The King sent a'message that “in our support of the League only restec our chief hope for the future peace ol the world.”

BRITAIN’S AIILITA-RY RESERVES

RUGBY, October 24

Official returns show that during the recruiting year ended September 30th last 29,033 men were approved for service in the Territorials, this being an increase Of 6,486 oil tlie total for the previous year. The total Territorial strength- exclusive of the permanent staff on October Ist was 6,656 officers and 133,027 other ranks.