BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 July 1938, Page 5

BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY

' DEFINED BY MR CHAMBERLAIN General Appeasement Sought WITHOUT SACRIFICE OF BRITISH HONOUR OR VITAL INTERESTS (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.55 a.m.) RUGBY, July 26. In a speech in the House of Commons in which he reviewed all the salient points of the international situation, the Prime Minister (Mr N. Chamberlain) described the British plan for aiding a successful conclusion of the negotiations in progress between Czechoslovakia and Herr Henlein’s party by means of an independent investigator and mediator, and announced Viscount Runciman’s acceptance of an invitation to fill this role. Britain, Mr Chamberlain said, had never regarded the Rome agreements as bilateral, but as part of a general appeasement, which would follow the liquidation of the Spanish dangers—for which reason the condition of a settlement in Spain had been laid down —and he foreshadowed a further effort at general appeasement in relation to Germany if an agreed and peaceful settlement were once reached in Czechoslovakia. Mr Chamberlain was replying to a speech by Sir A. Sinclair (Liberal Leader) and he began by repeating the definition of his Government’s foreign policy as the establishment and maintenance of peace and the removal as far as practicable of all causes of possible conflict in the amelioration of grievances by one country or another. At the same time let not anyone imagine, Mr Chamberlain declared, that the Government was willing to sacrifice, even for peace. British honour or vital British interests. Day by day the armed strength of Britain became more formidable, but while the tremendous power being accumulated remained in the background as a guarantee that the country could defend itself, the Government was not unmindful that while it was good to have a giant’s strength, it was silliness to use it like a giant.