NO ROOM FOR NAZISM

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 119, 18 April 1940, Page 7

NO ROOM FOR NAZISM

WITH BRITISH IDEAL. BASIS OF CONFLICT. MB EDEN'S FINE ANALYSIS. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Deceived April 18, 11.5 a.m. (Britisli Official Wireless.) EUGBY, April IT. Speaking in London to-day on “The Two Imperialisms/ 5 Mr 11. A. Eden opened by saying: “This war is not a clash between rival dynasties. Its basic causes are not economic, nor is it even a struggle to decide the balance of power. Nazidom’s record of broken faith has established long since that the Nazi Government is not negotiable. But even this is not the whole and heart of the problem. “The German Government’s conception of the world’s future is not compatible with ours, nor is there room for both. For Nazism, humanity consists of one race that rules —the German, race —and a number of.other races, all and always inferior. “We arc convinced, on the other hand, that there can he no hope for Mankind unless peoples, small as well as great are free to develop their own civilisations in security and peace. It is, therefore, fundamentals that are •it stake. No more vital issues have ever been fought out in any wiir- in history.'” DIFFERING CONCEPTIONS. Mr Eden proceeded to draw a comparison of the German and British conceptions of Imperialism. The Nazi ideal, he said, was based on subjection and repression, and he cited the type of world peace envisaged by Hitler in “Mein Kampf” as being one “that would he guaranteed by the triumphant sword of a people endowed with power to master the world.” In contradistinction to this statement, Mr Eden recalled the 192(5 imperial Coiitercnre resolution which declared of the British Commonwealth “a free institution its lifeblood, free co-operation its instrument.” While nations with divergent internal systems, lie continued, could live together, provided their conceptions of international conduct were approximately the same, there was no room for the practice of two fundamentally antagonistic conceptions of world order, and, Mr Eden added, “either the Gei man doctrine ol submission or our doctrine of equality must prevail. ' FAITH IN BRUTE FORCE. At the present moment, said Mr Eden, both systems could be seen in practice. He warned his listeners not to regard Hitler as a phenomenon distinct from the German nation. Ho was a direct expression of a great part of it, and the inheritor ot the earlier exponents of the Gorman iaitli in brute force. Mr Eden pointed out that the German aggressive war had not been foi economic gain, but aimed to make the world yield to German authority. Mr Eden asked his audience not to underestimate the conviction with which this idea was held, saying: “The Nazis believe it is lor the good ol Germany that the world he ruled by the Nazis, and what is good for the Germans must be good enough lor the world. If others cannot understand this crude, simple proposition they must be beaten until they do.” “UNHAPPY TRUTH.” Illustrating what lie described as “this unhappy truth,” Mr Eden read from an official Nazi announcement, published in a captured Polish city, which document concluded: “Poles who have not yet grasped that they are the conquered while we are the conquerors, and will not comply witli the above decrees, will he punished with all the severity of the law.” Giving another illustration, Mr Eden reminded his listeners that, while -tiie German minority in Czechoslovakia had the use of their own schools, and language, and a great German University flourished in Prague to-day, in the whole country the Czech language is suppressed and the only university surviving is German. Mr Eden then turned to the working of the British Commonwealth and pointed out the fallacy of the oftenrepeated statement that Britain owned a quarter of the world. No part of the Empire owned any other part, lie continued. Britain no more ruled over Canada than Canada over Britain, or Australia over New Zealand, or Britain over either. EQUAL RIGHTS.

The equality of each and all of the self-governing Dominions was complete and absolute. Speaking of the Colonial Empire, Mr Eden said Britain subscribed to the principles of Article 22 of tlie League Covenant, and regarded the government of the colonies as a trust, and he said : “In some neutral countries which are not at all enamoured of our enemy, the belief persists that this is merely a war of interests —one Imperialism against another Imperialism—one profiteer against another profiteer —profit its only basis, selfinterest its only motive. No ! Many wars have been fought in the past on that basis and that motive, but this is not one of them. This is much more than a conflict of interests. It is a conflict of worlds. The whole story of civilisation waits upon its issue!” .