Britain's Desire For Peace

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 17, 21 January 1937, Page 7

Britain's Desire For Peace

Mr Eden’s Speech in Commons INTERNATIONAL SITUATION REVIEWED (British Official Wireless) RUGBY', Jan. 19. The Foreign Secretary (Mr. Anthony Eden) opening the House of Commous debate on tihe international situation to-night, referred to the larger place taken in recent years by foreign affairs in the interest of the nation and in the time of Parliament, and suggested it Mas an expression of the ordinary people’s desire for and anxiety about peace. Unfortunately the jilienoinenon was not universal. By that he did not mean that certain peoples desired peace any less than the British or others, but only that the absence of complete freedom of expression and intercourse between all lands prevented world opinion from exercising to the full its influence for peace. That Mas a state of affairs they deplored, because they were convinced that so overwhelming was the desire of the world for peace that were all the barriers to freedom of intercourse and freedom of speech broken down everywhere then the threats to peace which existed would be largely allayed. The Spanish Crisis Overshadowing all other events in the international situation, Mr. Eden declared, was tho present position in {Spain. Intervention in tihe civil war by other nations Mould prolong its horrors and increase the sufferings of tho unhappy {Spanish people, and for that reason and for others the British Government had from the lirst opposed intervention, and still opposed it. If anyone believed that as an outcome of the civil war any foreign Power or Powers were going dominate Spain for a generation —to rule its way of life and direct its foreign policy —that man in Mr. Eden’s judgment, was wholly mistaken.

Mr. Eden said British interests in the Spanish conflict were quite simple. The conflict should not spread outside Spain and the political independence and territorial integrity of Spain should be preserved. He then took up the volunteers question and recounted tihe efforts of the British Government since just before Christmas to secure an agreement to end the flow of foreign nationals into the rival armies of Spain.

Referring to the French Government Bill to prohibit enlistment in or departure from French territory of volunteers for service in Spain, Mr. Eden remarked that he ihad no hesitation m saying that if all Governments would place themselves equally in that position they would be nearer an agreement than in fact they were to-day. After commenting on the replies to the latest British initiativo by the Portuguese and Russian Governments, which he found generally satisfactory, he said he was led to expect the German and Italian replies within the next few days. The Rusians had suggested, and Mr. Eden thought other Governments agreed with them, that a sciliemo control must be such as could, if necessary, be applied without the consent of the two parties in Spain.

Alluding to the immense amount of technical work done to produce a scheme of control the Foreign Secretary paid tribute to the chairman of the Non-intervention Committee, Lord Plymouth. As to the position in Morocco, the British Government had received reports on the inspection of Ceuta and Melilla and these generally were of a reassuring character so far as the alleged landing of and preparation for the landing of German troops was concerned.

Looking to the future the Foreign Secretary laid stress on the fact that the Government was prepared to cooperate in the common work of political appeasement and the economic cooperation of all. They did not believe that the alternative for Europe lay between dictatorships of tho Right and Left. British Volunteers in Spain TEMPTING OFFERS BY RECRUITING AGENTS Received Wednesday, 9.40 p.m. LONDON, Jan. ID. Speaking in the debate on the international situation in the Commons, Mr Eden, dealing with the Foreign Enlistment Act, said there had been agents here seeking to recruit young men, particularly air pilots, one of whom was offered £4O a week with expenses and a bonus of £SOO for every enemy shot down. Mr. Gallacher (Labour): For Franco? Mr. Eden: It doesn’t matter for whom. It is wrong for either side. It isn’t a question of volunteering but of recruiting. Mr. Gallacher: I want to challenge Mr. Eden to say that any man has gone to the support of the Madrid Govern ment for money and not in support of principles. Mr. Eden also quoted tihe case of a Brtish unemployed miner who told the British Vice-Consul at Marseilles that be was induced while drunk to join others going to Spain. There ihad been other repatriations from France.

Air. Attlee (Labour leader) endorsed tho value of international co-operation but twitted Air. Eden with apparently wishing to free himself not only from partisanship but from any idea except that might was right. He treated the loyalist and revolutionary Spanish Governments as of equal validity. The non-intervention Powers should get together and end the farce. Other Powers would welcome a British stand to restore the Spanish Government’s rights.

Sir Archibald Sinclair said the Government had displayed grave weakness in signing the Anglo-Italian agreement without an£ Italian. undertaking; about

intervention in Spain which was increasing. Tihe Spaniards if left alone would find a way out M’hich M’ould be neither Bolshevism nor Fascism. He understood that 750 British soldiers were now fighting in Spain. The debate Mas adjourned. The Times, in a leader, says public opinion will almost unanimously support the Government's policy as expounded by Mr. Eden.