EUROPE SINCE MUNICH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 March 1939, Page 8

EUROPE SINCE MUNICH

SURVEY OF EUROPEAN EVENTS. W.E.A. ADDRESS BY MR HELY. The first W.E.A. meeting of the season was held in the Lecture Room, Municipal Buildings, last evening, Mr C. J. Williams presiding over a good attendance of members.

The tutor-organiser, Mr A. S. Hely, said’it was now just g commonplace to say that the international situation h&d deteriorated since Munich, the vital question now being, what next? On his return from Munich Mr Chamberlain had said that he brought back peace with honour; now it was doubtful whether either had been retained. The betrayal of Czechoslovakia by France under British pressure had removed the last natural and artificial barrier to German expansion east or south. In the opinion of the lecturer, Munich marked a complete change, at least for the time being, in the trend of German foreign policy. Previously, in his work and speeches, Herr Hitler had stressed the need for a drive to the east —a Germany “stretching from the North Sea to the Urals.” His policy in that direction did not conflict with British interests. Since Munich, German policy had been directed towards the Balkans, and there had been renewed talks of a redistribution of colonies, not necessarily the return of previous German colonies, but new spheres of German economic domination. Herr Funk, after Munich, com-' pleted a record series of trade agreements, culminating in the recent agreement with Rumania, and giving economic control of the Balkans —a policy similar to that of ISI4.

Italy, the lecturer continued, had been only too eager to arrange the Munich meeting, because of her own weak -position at that time with committments in Africa and Spain, and her vulnerability at home. Since Munich her position had been strengthened, while that of France had been startlingly weakened. France had lost most of her central and Eastern alliances, and had now to face also a possible hostile Spanish frontier, while she was also faced by interim troubles. The position in Palestine had also complicated the situation, as the recent adoption of anti-semitism by Italy had been indirectly related to the troubles in the near East. French foreign policy had closely followed British policy, and so far had led to inaction at each new instance of German aggression. Now frantic efforts were being made to win back the support of Russia. In Britain, said Mr Hely, was growing dissatisfaction, even in Government and official circles, at the policy of the Inner Cabinet. It was significant that two members, ex-Foreign Secretaries Sir John Simon and Sir Samuel Hoare, had previously repudiated league action and the principle of collective security, over the invasions of Manchuria and Abyssinia. Professor Seton Watson, a noted British authority had said in connection with Munich, that the action of the Inner Cabinet in making important decisions without ever consulting Parliament was most unconstitutional. Many supporters of the National Government, including Mr Eden and Mr Duff Cooper, were of the opinion that a definite stop now had to be made to further Gorman aggression. Mr Winston Churchill considered the position inetrievable. “Manchuria,” he said, “marked the first opportunity to make collective security work; Munich, the last.” After the address, Mr Hely answered many questions,__and took part in a general discussion. A series of lectures will be given in August; meantime a discussion group will commence weekly meetings in the Lecture, Room, Monday, April 17. Mr M. G. -Mackay will be the convenor.