BRITISH MINISTERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 August 1939, Page 5

BRITISH MINISTERS

Assembling in London Today CRITICAL POSITION TO BE REVIEWED LORD HALIFAX’S WARNING RECALLED (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.5 a.in.) RUGBY, August 21. In London principal interest is now fixed on tomorrow’s meeting’ of Ministers, when Viscount Halifax (Foreign Minister) will report upon the international situation. The meeting was arranged before Ministers dispersed on their holiday, but in view of the developments of the European situation during the last few days, there is satisfaction that the Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain) and his colleagues will -have an opportunity at this stage of reviewing together the more critical position which has followed from the reappearance in Central Europe of the tactics by which the crisis of last September’ was inaugurated and from the clamant reiteration in the German Press of the impossibility of a compromise upon demands which the whole world knows mean war if they are persisted in. This growing tension is bound to engage the most serious attention of .Ministers, though it is generally recognised here that Britain has done almost all that lies in her power to ensure peace by defining with precision and clarity its attitude and obligations. On June 2!), Lord Halifax declared :— “In the event of further aggression, we are resolved to use at once the whole of our strength in fulfilment of our pledges to resist it.” Mr (’h ain b(*rla in siibsetpienl ly emphasised thal these words represented Britain’s considered policy. Ministers will no doubt be concerned to see if there remain any means, over and above all that has already been done to that end. to ensure thal no slightest doubt survives in any quarter of the significance of that pledge. One matter which it may be assumed will not be excluded from consideration al tomorrow's meeting of Ministers is the summoning of Parliament. Before tin 1 adjournment, Air (’hamberlain assured the House of (‘ominous that Hie Government would not hesitate—if it thought developments made it desirable —to call Parliament together before the date fixed for reassemlily—October 3. At tin? same time he resisted an amendment lotlie adjournment motion which sought to fix a special session for tomorrow's date, and it may still he his and his colleagues’ view that the meeting of Parliament is not at present necessary or opportune. Callers on Mr Chamberlain included Air A. Greenwood, Sir Samuel Hoare, Mr L. Burgin and Lord Chatfield. Air Hore-Belisha had an hour's conversation in Paris with AL Daladier.

AMERICA’S PART

NEW YORK PAPER'S IDEAS ON WAR. POLICY OF’ STAYING OUT AS f.ONG AS POSSIBLE. NEW YORK. August 20. Apparently sharing the opinion of 76 per cent of Americans, as expressed in the Institute of National Opinion’s poll, that American isolation from a European war is impossible, the strongly isolationist New York "Daily News." with a circulation of 2.000.000 lias taken a new stand. In an editorial today, it says: "May-

be wc can’t keep out of Europe's troubles. Then the thing for us is to keep out as long as wc can and let the European countries spill their own blood for two or three years so we won’t have to stop in for so long when we finally do go over.

"That way we will have more authority when the time finally comes to settle the peace terms. It was bud enough that wc finally had to get into the World War, but it was a mighty good thing we didn’t begin spilling our blood copiously till lhe last, few months of it.”

The newspaper adds that the American Navy is a sure guarantee that the standard of living will not slump when the rest of the world goes to war.