WORLD RELATIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 July 1938, Page 7

WORLD RELATIONS

EXTENDED SURVEY MADE BY MR CHAMBERLAIN EUROPEAN AND OTHER PROBLEMS. HOPES OF COLLABORATION WITH AMERICA. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 26. Dealing with the Sudeten dispute in Czechoslovakia in respect to AngloGerman relations, Mr Chamberlain said that Britain had impressed on both Germany and Czechoslovakia the desirability of restraint, and the British Government had noted with satisfaction the efforts of the Government in Prague in this direction. They had also been happy to receive from Berlin assurances recently renewed of a desire for a peaceful solution. In his recent interview with Dr von Dircksen, German Ambassador in London, the Prime Minister said that he himself had not gone beyond what the House already knew —the dual policy of urging Czechoslovakia to do all it possibly could consistent with what it felt to be essential to the integrity and independence of its own State to come to an agreement with Herr Henlein’s party and of urging on the other side the need of patience.

“If we can find some peaceful solution of the Sudeten question,” said Mr Chamberlain, “I should myself think that the way was again open for a further effort at general appeasement —appeasement which cannot be attained until we can be satisfied that no major cause for dispute or difference remains unsettled.

AGREEMENT WITH DICTATORS. “We have already demonstrated the possibility of complete agreement between the democratic and totalitarian States, and I do not see myself why the experiment cannot be repeated. “When Hitler made the offer of a naval treaty in which Germany was to be restricted to an agreed level bearing a fixed ratio to the British fleet, he made a notable gesture of the most practical kind in the direction of peace. The value of that gesture, it seems fo me, has not been fully appreciated as tending toward general appeasement. “But there the treaty stands as a demonstration that it is possible for Ger-

many and ourselves to agree upon matters which are vital to both of us. We ought not to find it impossible to continue our effort toward an understanding which would do so much to bring back confidence to Europe.” • Other passages in the Prime Minister’s speech were devoted to AngloAmerican relations, the situation in the Far East, the position of the League, and questions bearing on the AngloItalian agreements. In reference to the welcome accorded their Majesties on the occasion of the State visit to Paris, Mr Chamberlain said that the tow democracies were united by common interests and ■ideals and their unity was happier for the fact of the general recognition that it was not directed against any other nation or combination of nations. BRITAIN AND FRANCE. That unity had been strengthened and confirmed by the conversations held between Lord Halifax, British Foreign Secretary, and the French Ministers in Paris. The House knew that there was no mystery about them. There had been no new undertaking and no new commitments on either side. There had been a general dis-

cussion on all matters of interest to the two countries, and a general agreement upon them had been reached. Regarding the Rome agreements, the Priine Minister reiterated the reasons for making the removal of the Spanisl* situation from being a perpetual menace to the peace of Europe a condition of their coming into effect. It was not the fault of either party that the condition had not been fulfilled. Italy had kept faith in the reduction of her troops in Libya, in the cessation of anti-British propaganda and in her collaboration on the non-intervention committee. Britain had carried out her engagements by her action at the recent League meeting. The British Government profoundly regretted the delay in bringing the agreements into effect and would do all it could to facilitate the withdrawal of foreign volunteers from Spain in order that Spain might cease to offer threats to the peace of Europe. This observation drew from Mr Atlee, Leader of the Opposition, a question whether in the Prime Minister’s view, a withdrawal of foreign volunteers would constitute a “settlement in Spain,” but Mr Chamberlain replied cautiously that he would like to wait and see what happened when the volunteers had been withdrawn, adding that if Britain could feel that Spain had ceased to be a menace to the peace of Europe, Britain would regard that as a settlement of the Spanish question. THE DEBT TO AMERICA. Turning to relations with the United States, Mr Chamberlain expressed -the opinion that they had never been better- than at present. Taking up a reference made by Sir Archibald Sinclair, Liberal Opposition Leader, to the debt question, he said that Lord Stanhope’s observations in the House of Lords on Thursday had made Britain’s attitude perfectly clear. He regarded the trade agreement now under negotiation not merely as an attempt to come to a commercial arrangement, but as an effort to demonstrate the possibility of Britain and the United States working together and as a forerunner of collaboration on a larger scale. It was not necessary to display impatience. A commercial treaty of this kind began with an enormous schedule of articles, every one of which had to be discussed and negotiated. They had gone through this great schedule and had agreed upon the great part of it, but, as always happened, one came at some time to certain points which offered special difficulty. On this subject the Prime Minister

concluded with the statement: “I know that there is goodwill on both sides, and I hope that we shall not have to wait very long before we are able to announce an agreement.” The Prime Minister finished his long statement ranging over the whole field of foreign affairs with a confident declaration: “The Government believethat, in the end, we shall succeed in bringing back security and confidence to Europe.”