The Times THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 1937. Britain and the Next War

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 23, 28 January 1937, Page 6

The Times THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 1937. Britain and the Next War

Mr. L. S. Amery, M.P., speaking at Bournemouth, said that without conscription and a cost beyond even her resources, Britain could not provide an army for Continental warfare. To raise such an army after war began would not be possible again. “We should enormously help the recruiting position and simplify the whole problem if we made it clear to our own people, to the War Office authorities, and to other nations that any obligations that we might possibly incur on the Continent extended to our Navy and our Air Force, but did not involve any commitment for the use of ground force,” said Mr. Amery.

He was not prepared to sacrifice the higher idea) enshrined in the British Commonwealth in pursuit of the will o’ the wisp of enforced peace between the fiercely contending Continental fanaticisms. If there was a real possibility of an allround settlement of the European situation which Germany would be prepared to accept, were they to wreck that possibility by encouraging France to insist on the inclusion of Russia, which, after all, really belonged in her outlook and her interests to Asia rather than to Europe?

Let there be no more muddle-headed mumbling about strengthening the Covenant when they knew perfectly well that this meant neither more nor less than committing themselves to entanglement in a Franco-Russian alliance against Germany, Italy and Japan.