STEP BY STEP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 September 1938, Page 5

STEP BY STEP

AGGRESSION OF DICTATOR STATES SIR W. CITRINE ON COMING CRISIS. ADDRESS TO TRADES UNION CONGRESS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Copyright. (Recd This Day, 9.55 p.m.) LONDON, September 6. Sir Walter- Citrine, reporting to the Trades Union Congress on negotiations with the Government over rearmament measures, said: “The Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain) indicated that rapid and extensive rearmament was essential, told us of Britain’s probable allies and the capacity of potential aggressors, and made it clear from which quarter- aggression was likely to come. It is common knowledge that, step by step, aggression is threatening from the dictator states.” Sir W. Citrine expressed the opinion that the Government had badly misjudged the position and the rapidity and extensiveness of German rearmament had apparently escaped notice. The Government had thought we were going to be allowed three years in which to re-equip ourselves. Unfortunately there was every indication that the approach to a crisis might be made much earlier. The Trades Unions had told Mr Chamberlain that his foreign policy did not commend itself to them and that the nearer his policy came to collective security the more likely he was to get a response from the unions. Sir W. Citrine deplored the view that there should be no collaboration with the Government. On the contrary, the general feeling of the congress was that it was better to use influence to control the Government than to stand outside. A motion to refer back the rearmament section of the report was defeated overwhelmingly.