FEARS OF WAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 January 1939, Page 5

FEARS OF WAR

DENOUNCED BY HOME SECRETARY

“TIMID PANICMONGERS.”

DOING THE GREATEST HARM.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.

LONDON, January 27.

In his speech at Swansea, Sir Samuel Hoare, Home Secretary said: “Let those also ponder who go abdut with white faces and trembling lips, asking each other when the world war is going to begin. These timid panic-mongers are doing the greatest harm, because they are undermining public confidence and creating a fatal feeling of the inevitability of war, when there is no such inevitability at all. “Worst of all, they are showing cowardice in the face of a potential enemy. These men, whether they are stock exchange gamblers or simply foolish, nerveless, backboneless people, are a public nuisance.” ASSERTION DENIED.', Speaking on the same subject in Worthing, Earl Winterton, President of the Board of Education, said that people who said that war was inevitable and yvould come within a few weeks or months were doing no good to their country, as well as making a wholly inaccurate statement. On the other hand, those who confidently asserted that they knew there would be no major war in 1939 were being equally inaccurate for the simple reason that no one could know in the present unsettled state of the world what would happen. Britain and the British Empire were most likely to avoid war by seeking peace and appeasement, and at the same time being prepared for any eventuality.

NEW AND POTENT FACTOR. “The Times,” in a leader commending Sir Samuel Hoare’s speech, says: “Such a tone might more often be adopted these days by British Ministers. Admittedly Europe is passing-through a time of stress, but the prophets of disaster who see the nations arraying themselves in rival camps as in 1914 have ignored at least one new potent factor—-the passionate desire of the people of Europe for peace, which Sir Samuel Hoare was entitled to claim as one of the two incontrovertible facts standing out from the obscure background of fears and guesses. “The other fact is the invincibility of the British Empire, which is not the same thing as invulnerability. War might bring unparalleled havoc and loss before final victory can be achieved, but it is certain there exists no potentially hostile Power capable of conquering the British Empire.”

STOCK GAMBLERS SIR S. HOARE CALLS THEM "Jill ERBUGS.” SPEECH WELCOMED IN CITY. ■ By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, January 27. In his speech denouncing those who talked of the inevitability of war. Sir Samuel Hoare, describing them as “jitterbugs,” vehemently denounced the gamblers on the stock exchange of the world and the manipulators of foreign exchange.

His speech will be welcomed at a time when the London Stock Exchange is repeatedly experiencing falls, largely because of rumours which “The Times" city correspondent characterises as ludicrous enough to suggest that they mostly originated from an ulterior motive of interested sources.

The “Financial Times” instances that, among the dangerous and unwarranted rumours circulating all over Europe, the report that Herr Hitler on January 30 will not only demand colonies. but the return of the whole amount which Germany paid in reparations, amounting to £2,000,000,00. “The Times” city correspondent attributes much of the stock selling in London to necessity, because of Continental operators financing speculation in American stocks on an over-thin margin. He adds that an appreciable bear position has recently developed and that the slightly favourable news may produce a moderate rally.