Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1938. STEERING AWAY FROM WAR.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 October 1938, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1938. STEERING AWAY FROM WAR.

JtyfANY' of the most ardent defenders in Great Britain of the foreign policy of Mr Chamberlain and his Ministerial colleagues, and particularly of the negotiations which culminated in the Munich agreement, appear to take it for granted that the only alternative would have been to go to war on behalf of Czechoslovakia. A good many people, however, may agree with Lord Cranborne, former Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, who retired from the British Cabinet, in company with his chief, Mr Anthony Eden, in February last. A British Official Wireless message yesterday reported that Lord Cranborne, in opposing the Government’s policy in the recent House of Commons debate, repudiated a suggestion that he would have preferred war to the acceptance of the Munich terms, but said he wondered if it would not have been better from the start not to have interfered or .to have sent Lord Runciman to Prague. As to the future, rearmament would have his fullest support. Bearing in mind that Herr Henlein and his Sudeten Party at a comparatively recent date were demanding only autonomy 'Within the Czechoslovak State, and not the cession of territory to Germany, it may be doubted whether the Czechs, frankly left to their own resources, would have had to accept terms any harsher' than those now imposed on them. It is at least, a-question, also, whether the conciliatory approaches of Britain and France did not in some measure encourage and stimulate the German Nazis in their aggressive demands. The peculiar position has now arisen, however, that uneasiness and a, certain amount of resentment are said to have been awakened in Germany by Britain’s concentration on rearmament. In the extent, if any, to which these sentiments are based upon a genuine desire in Germany for peace, they* are to be welcomed. No fault need be found in any case with the reported trend of opinion in the Reich if it helps to open the way to a practical consideration and. discussion, of the limitation of armaments. It is very necessary, however, in any approach that may prove possible to that very desirable development to maintain a sense of proportion and to face the leading facts of the existing situation where British and German armaments are concerned. These facts are in brief that Britain is making a hasty and somewhat belated attempt to build up her armaments after taking serious risks in a. policy of unilateral disarmament in which she vainly sought Co-operation and support, whereas Germany is far advanced in a maximum development of armed strength. A great deal of confirmatory evidence might be brought in support of the impression, gained by a. New Zealander (Air J. Al. A. Hott) who has just returned from a trip abroad in the course of which he visited Germany. The German people (Air Hott said) had made terrific sacrifices for armaments over the last two years. This had taken practically all the available German labour and materials. He could not but admire the determination and ingenuity of the German people in their quest for .substitutes.* Under plans that are still in full operation, the people of Germany have been overworked, needlessly impoverished and subjected to many deprivations in order that armaments and military power may be developed on the greatest scale. In these circumstances it would be comical, if the issues involved were not so grave, that the relatively modest progress of rearmament in Britain should be regarded with uneasy resentment in Germany. The only point that really matters, however, is whether Germany is, or is not, prepared to discuss with Britain and with other nations a mutual limitation of armaments. If she is, an all-important first, step will be taken towards substituting a reign of law in Europe for power politics.