BRITISH REARMAMENT.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 379, 10 March 1937, Page 6

BRITISH REARMAMENT.

Assurance Given By Mr. Eden British Official Wireless. Rugby, March 9. Speaking at Aberdeen on rearmament Mr Anthony Eden, Foreign Secretary, stated that a great stabilising factor in world z influence aivl authority which was of evident advantage to mankind as a whole was the United States. When they looked at the troubled state of the world to-day it wae a comforting thought that over the vast area where the United States flag fleiv there was a groat peace loving and progressive influence at work. Mr Eden declared that, disturbing as the effect of the repent and present large increases in world armaments must be t« the public mind, these in no sense justified acceptance of the inevitability of war. His

j Majesty’s Government, he said, would never subscribe to such fatalism. ■ The influences working for peace ; were many and varied. Not the least among thcim was the realisation, fnescapable for all. of the appalling and immeasurable calamity for all —victor and vanquished alike—which a resort to war involved in itself. That was an important deterrent. Outlining the principles which he believed commended themselves to the moral sense and common sense of the country, he said: “We are all agreed thait the main object of the foreign policy is a pursuit of peace, and while avoiding anything in the nature of provocation, we should not ' ! hesitate to speak our mind when we think it right. “Are we all agreed that in a re- | arming world this count ry should [have armaments commensurate with ; its national imperial and interna- , j tional responsibilities? We are all I j agreed that -peace will be finally /secured only by the establishment of ; international order, which shall sub- ■ stitute the rule of law for the rule of 1 force. We are all agreed that we 1 should co-operate with those who are like-minded and should make every endeavour to extend the area of co opdratujn.”