AVERTING WAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 October 1938, Page 7

AVERTING WAR

SURVEY OF THE EUROPEAN CRISIS MR EDEN CONDEMNS FOUR POWER PACT DEMOCRACIES NOT OUT OF DANGER. NEED OF RESOLUTE EFFORT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Copyright. RUGBY, October 3. Mr Anthony Eden, speaking in the House of Commons for the first time since his resignation from the Foreign Secretaryship, commented in the debate following Mr Chamberlain’s speech on the manifestation they had of the deep desire of the German people for peace, and suggested that their desire, which had never been in doubt, might be of real significance for the future of peace.

The moral forces which had gathered to resist the march of war and to which President Roosevelt had given voice in his admirable message, constituted an imponderable but powerful influence to which no ruler could be altogether impervious. FACTORS THAT COUNTED. It was too soon to determine the factors which had helped to avert war, but he put as the first factor the Prime Minister’s courageous refusal to give up hope. The moral force of which he had already spoken was another, and there was also the authoritative information which appeared in the Press last Tuesday that, if France had been compelled to go to Czechoslovakia’s assistance, Britain and Russia would stand by France. Last, _but not least, there was the mobilisation of the British Fleet. But paramount among all such factors was the conduct of the Czechoslovak Government, which had laid all Europe under an obligation to them by having made the greatest contribution to the preservation of peace. Mr Eden went on to ask a number of questions which he thought appeared to have been neglected in the provisions of the settlement so far disclosed. He referred in particular to the problem of compensation and to the question of the Czechoslavak State debt. Was Germany going to assume part of the burden of that debt in respect of the transferred territory? FRONTIER GUARANTEES. Mr Eden admitted that the Premier had established that there had been some' marked modifications of the terms proposed at Bad Godesberg. He expressed apprehension regarding the departure from the country’s traditional foreign policy involved in the proposed guarantee of the new Czechoslovak frontiers—frontiers which actually did not yet exist. VZas the existence of Czechoslovakia, in its new form possible either politically or economically? He did not question the moral claim of the Czechoslovak Government to this guarantee in view of the circumstances, but felt considerable anxiety as to its precedent., Mr Eden condemned the policy of the four-Power pact, and maintained that it had always been the endeavour of British foreign policy to secure the co-operation of the small Powers of Europe—Powers which were always on the side of peace unless instigated by the Great Powers.

Finally, Mr Eden said that the democracies had got to show themselves no less resolute in policy and spirit than nations under other forms of government. The speed of British rearmament had been, and still was, too slow. It should be accelerated. For a revival of the national spirit, it was necessary to make a determined effort to conduct foreign policy on the principles upon which a nation could unite. He believed that was nossible.

FOOTING THE BILL. COST OF WAR PREPARATIONS IN BRITAIN. LONDON. October •!. The “News Chronicle” estimates a cost of £44,000,000 to the British taxpayer for war preparations. The journal says nearly £13,000,000 was sanctioned for air raid precautions. Many local authorities incurred big liabilities and are now demanding that the Government pay the whole expenditure because it is impossible to meet the cost, from the rates.