BRITISH ACTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 August 1939, Page 6

BRITISH ACTION

RESTORATION OF CONFIDENCE IN PEACE BLOC

GOVERNMENT SEEKING WIDE POWERS.

UNDER EMERGENCY BILL.

(Received This Day, 12.20 p.m.) LONDON, August 22.

A firm and dignified restatement of Britain’s policy is expected to counteract widespread speculation and guesswork and to re-establish confidence in the countries that are aligned in the peace bloc. The Emergency Powers Bill partakes somewhat of the nature of the Defence of the Realm Act. It empowers the Government to meet any emergency, acting, if necessary, without consulting Parliament, similarly to the French Government, which has almost dictatorial powers. MOSCOW OPINION STEP TOWARD PEACE. NO BAR TO ALLIANCE WITH DEMOCRACIES. (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) MOSCOW, August 22. Authoritative circles say the pact is a step to insure peace and insist that it is in no way incompatible with a British-French-Russian defensive alliance. VATICAN WELCOME (Received This Day. 11.10 a.m.) ROME, August 22. Vatican quarters greeted the pact as a “possible contribution to peace” and welcome it for that reason. NOTABLE PEACE FACTOR VERDICT IN BALTIC STATES. (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) RIGA, August 22. Baltic States newspapers welcome the Russian-German pact as a notable peace factor. NAVAL ACTIVITIES GERMAN SHIPS OFF DANISH COAST. (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, August 22. German warships are reported off the Danish coasts, carrying out minelaying exercises. Sweden has ordered her second submarine squadron, which is due to visit Ostend, to remain in home waters. Warplanes are reported to have arrived at Danzig at frequent intervals. “HISTORICAL EVENT” PACT THROUGH GERMAN EYES. PERMANENT EUROPEAN REALIGNMENT. (Received This Dav. 12.45 p.m.) BERLIN. August 22. It is semi-olficially stated that the pact, represents a permanent European realignment, not a mere tactical manoeuvre. It is an event of immense historical importance, decisively affecting long-term German-Russian relations.