PILLARS OF POLICY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 May 1938, Page 9

PILLARS OF POLICY

WAR CAUSES MUST BE REMOVED “The British Government’s foreign policy is based upon two conceptions,” said Mr Chamberlain, speaking at Birmingham. “The first is this: That, if you want to secure a peace which can be relied upon to last, you have got to find out what are the causes of war and remove them. You cannot do that by sitting still-and waiting for something to turn up. You have got to set about it. You have got to inform yourself what are the difficulties, where are the danger spots, what are the reasons for any likely or possible disturbance of the peace, and, when you have found that out, you must exert yourself to find the remedy. The second conception is this: In any armed world you must be armed yourself. You must see to it that your preparations, or defensive and offensive forces, are so organised and built up that nobody will be tempted to attack you, but that, on the contrary, when your voice is raised for peace it will be listened to with respect. These, then, are the two pillars of our foreign policy. Nor do we yield to anyone in our devotion to those great and splendid ideals embodied in the League of Nations. We still intend to seize every opportunity that we can find to build up and strengthen the League and to restore it to a condition in which it may once again become an effective instrument for the preservation of peace.”