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Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 October 1938, Page 8

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• ' . ->• ONSTOVOTE POLICY • ‘ ‘ F OPPOSITION CRITICISM .;j :; : ;;'\ ; <‘\Ocial Wireless) j - Day, 10.13 a.m.) ■ \RUGBY, October 4. : ’••motion, tabled in the . ;■••... tj'ime Minister (Mr Nev- ; : 5 in) Sir John Simon, and ’ ‘ . '.••.•. MacDonald, will be moved • •.•'.fee of Commons tomorrow:— J'i-, ?. ■’••.’ ,ls House approves the policy ; • 'b ?,. ; Majesty’s Government, by which was averted in the recent crisis .*.•,-•;id supports their efforts to secure >*'■ lasting peace.” It is generally expected that a reasoned amendment will be moved from the Opposition benches. The debate on Mr Chamberlain’s statement on the Munich agreement was continued for the Opposition today by Mr Herbert Morrison, who suggested that ministers were under an illusion if they believed that the electorate, relieved as it was by the avoidance of war, would be prepared to accept what had happened without asking some searching questions. His own case against the Government was that by its policy of weaking the moral authority of the League of Nations and destroying the faith of small States in the collective system, and by its attitude of political discrimination against Russia, it had brought Britain into a position of greater danger. The Government had turned away from building up a combination of peaceful powers, and left nations which might have followed Britain and stood by her in collective action to draw the conclusion that they would be wiser to join up with the dictatorships. As a final step in this mistaken policy, the Government has acquiesed in the weakening of Czechoslovakia and the augmentation of Germany’s strength by 400,000 trained men and 25 millions sterling worth of armaments. From being an asset on the side of peace, as quite an important military power, loyally co-operating within the League, this policy had transformed Czechoslovakia into a debit in the form of the guarantee which it was proposed Britain should give of her new frontiers. Mr Morrison argued that Mr Chamberlain’s insistence on the need for not relaxing the programme of rearmament showed that Mr Chamberlain was not satisfied that his policy would bring peace. Mr Morrison said Labour did not desire a war against Germany or Italy, but would co-operate with the Fascist Governments if possible in the genuine promotion of peace. The Government had encouraged rather than discouraged aggression. It either sympathised with or feared the dictators, whose psychology was not understood. “I believe Herr Hitler frightened Mr Chamberlain out of his life,” said Mr Morrison. Mr Morrison was immediately answered by Dr E. L. Burgin, who accused him of neglecting the facts of recent events and making the usual common form of attack on the foreign policy of the Government. Dr Burgin said the ordinary elector or man in the street, contrary to Mr Morrison’s belief, was convinced that the greatest war the world had even known had been averted through the actions of one man —Mr Chamberlain. FIRST SEED OF HOPE Dr Burgin recalled how the Premier’s flight to visit Herr Hitler at Berchtesgaden three weeks ago had captured the imagination of the whole world and planted the first seed of hope that war would be avoided. Mr Chamberlain had had an unerring appreciation of the German mentality. The idea of direct, personal talk between the heads of the Governments made an instantaneous appeal to the German mind. Mr Chamberlain had shown a yet deeper understanding when he had his important conversation with Herr Hitler at Berchtesgaden —a fact of enormous potential consequence. At that meeting, Mr Chamberlain performed the miracle of converting the imminent risk of an armed occupation of Czechoslovakia into the possibility of a sensible discussion. Dr Burgin described Mr Chamberlain’s great act of courage when faced at ‘Godesberg with an entirely unexpected demand that the occupation of Sudetenland by German troops should take place immediately. He sent his cars back from the hotel and Dr Burgin claimed that this strong line had a marked effect on the public opinion of the world. World opinion had not been misled in the significance attaching to these events, and it had required great personal courage to act in that way. Mr Chamberlain had made a stand for democracy. Dr Burgin went on to refute the argument that greater firmness would have prevented war and mentioned evidence in the possession of the Government which pointed to the fact that a decision to invade Czechoslovakia was taken on September 14. and that there was no evidence to show that Herr Hitler would have refrained because of a threat to use force against him. Dr. Burgin said all the evidence in the Government’s possession on September 14 was that a decision to invade Czechoslovakia had been taken. There was not a scrap of evidence that Herr Hitler would have refrained from ordering his troops to invade. He intended to use his armies and incorporate Sudetenland even at the risk of a world war. No stand could have prevented that result unless Mr Chamberlain had acted as he did. No allied army could have prevented the overrunning ofr the country and the Powers could not have ‘‘put Humpty Dumnty back again.” Dr Burgin added that Hitler himself had said he was prepared to risk world war on the issue. Speaking of the military difficulties if there had been war, Dr Burgin said Czechoslovakia would have been overrun and completely annihilated, and no action against Germany, however successful, could have restored Czechoslovakia. That was the essence of the matter. THE PROPOSED GUARANTEE Replying to an interjection by Dr Hugh Dalton, who suggested that Dr Burgin’s argument was an overwhelming condemnation of the proposed new guarantee of Czechoslovak frontiers, Dr Burgin said thar was not true. They were “separate considerations.” Turning to the future. Dr Burgin said the underlying causes of international unrest must be tackled, and

there should be a resolve to turn recent events to good account. The Government would use all its efforts peacefully to solve international problems, while pushing on with the country’s defences. Mr James Maxton, leader of the International Labour Party, which announced last week its unqualified opposition to war in whatever circumstances undertaken, said Mr Chamberlain had done something the common people of the world wanted done. Now there was a breathing space and every scrap of human intellect that could be, should be brought to bear to make the breathing space into a real world peace. LABOUR PARTY DEMANDS. AMENDMENT TO BE MOVED. (Received This Day, 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, October 4. Mr Arthur Greenwood will move a Labour Party amendment tomorrow: — “That the House, while profoundly relieved that war is at present averted, does not approve the policy which led to the sacrifice of Czechoslovakia under a threat of armed force, the humiliation of'Britain and its exposure to grave dangers, and, realising the intense desire of all peoples for a lasting peace, demands active support for the method of collective security through the League of Nations, and the Government's immediate initiation of proposals for summoning a world conference to consider the removal of economic and political grievances imperilling peace.” ,