ISSUES IN EUROPE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 August 1939, Page 5

ISSUES IN EUROPE

BRITISH PREMIER’S MOMENTOUS STATEMENT Nothing to be Yielded to Force POSITION MADE PLAIN TO HITLER SOVIt'.T CiF.I’MAN FACT A COMFI .LIT. SURI’RISF. (Rciti;’li Official Wireless.) (Receive! 'i hi:. Day. 111.25 a.niJ RUGBY, August 25. CONFRONTED, AS MR. CHAMBERLAIN SAID, "WITH IMMINENT PERILS OF WAR,” A CROWDED AND HUSHED HOUSE OF COMMONS LISTENED TO THE PREMIER’S MOMENTOUS STATEMENT OF THE ISSUES RAISED BY NAZI GERMANY’S ACTION AND THREATS, AND BRITAIN'S DETERMINATION TO YIELD NOTHING TO FORCE. THEY HEARD FROM HIM THAT IN A COMMUNICATION MADE YESTERDAY TO HERR HITLER AT BERCHTESGADEN BY SIR NEVILE HENDERSON, IT WAS MADE PLAIN THAT “IF CAUSE SHOULD ARISE, BRITAIN IS RESOLVED AND PREPARED TO EMPLOY WITHOUT DELAY ALL THE FORCES AT HER COMMAND," AND THEY CHEERED HIS FINAL APPEAL THAT IN THIS CRITICAL HOUR THEY SHOULD SHOW THE WORLD THAT “AS WE THINK, SO WE SHALL FIGHT--AS A UNITED NATION." WITH PARTICULAR INTEREST. MEMBERS HEARD, TOO, MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S ADMISSION THAT MONDAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SOVIET-GERMAN NON-AGGRESSION PACT CAME AS A COMPLETE SURPRISE TO BRITAIN AND “A SURPRISE OF A VERY UNPLEASANT CHARACTER." THE CLOSE ATTENTION WITH WHICH MR. CHAMBERLAIN’S COMMENTS ON THIS DEVELOPMENT. AND HIS REFUSAL MEANTIME TO PASS FINAL JUDGMENT ON IT, WERE FOLLOWED, TOOK ON AN INCREASED ALERTNESS AS THE PREMIER PASSED ON TO SPEAK OF THE FALSE DEDUCTIONS THAT HAD BEEN MADE IN CERTAIN QUARTERS AS TO ITS EFFECT ON BRITISH POLICY AND THE STEPS THAT HAD BEEN TAKEN TO CORRECT THEM AND TO REAFFIRM, IN VERY DELIBERATE TERMS, THE FIDELITY OF BRITAIN TO HER PLEDGES. Air. ('hamberlain said Unit the country laced an imminent peril of war, and if had been necessary to summon Parliament to take such new and drastic steps as the gravity of the situation required. Crisis of First Magnitude Tli) 1 German cmiipl.'iinls ol Polish atrocities strongly resembled lasi year's charges .'igaiirsl the Czechs, lie continued. Tlie Polish statement of the position had shown great calm and self-restraint. Germany was now in a condition ol complete readiness for war. Tlie (lermtum at the beginning of the week had liegun to move troops Io ihe Polish Irontier and it became apparent that a crisis of the first magnitude was approaching, b’or this reason il was neeessar\ to seek emergency powers. Air. Chamberlain proceeded: "Tlie British and Preneh military missions were received in a very Iriendly manner in Moscow and the discussions were progressing on a basis ol mutual trust when the bombshell of the Russo (I er man nonaggression pact was tiling down. It came to us as a most unpleasant surprise. There had been rumours ot an impending change in the German-Russian relations, but no inkling was conveyed by the Soviet. “The increase in the'bank rate is a normal protective measure. Il is intended Io protect the resources in a period of uncertainly. The public would do best to co-op’erate by decreasing llie demands mi the foreign exchange and not sending capital out of t he country. “In view of Berlin’s attitude, the Government felt it was its duty to leave no possible loophole for misunderstanding and therefore Sir Nevile Henderson handed to Herr Hitler a message from me on behalf of the Ministry restating' our position. War between the two countries would be one of the greatest calamities that could occur.” Extraordinary Cynicism In Berlin, Air. Chamberlain cmiiinued, Alonday night’s annoiinccincnl was hailed with extraordinary cynicism as a great diplomatic victory, which removed any 'danger of war, since Britain and Praiiee would no longer be likely to fulfil I heir obligal ions I o Poland. “We felt il,” declared the Premier, “our first duty to remove any such dangerous impression. Hence Tuesday’s Cabinet statement llml our ihliga I imis to Poland remained unali'ecl'.'d. How, indeed, could Britain with honour have gone back upon an undertaking giv.n before the negotiations with.. Russia opened, not in any way made dependent mi the outcome of such negotiations. and so often and so plainly repeated? "These obligations rest upon an agreed statement made Io the House of Commons, Io which effect is being given in treaties which are al present al an advanced stage of negotiation.. These treaties, when concluded. will lormally define, without m ant wav altering. adding 10, or subtracting from the obligations <>|' mutual assistance which have already been accepted. ’’ Britain’s Position Made Ciear The Cabinet statement. Mr. Chamberlain added, was followed by Sir ,\. Henderson's visit lo Herr Hiller, 'flic object of the cmiiiiiiieal ioti Sir X. Henderson delivered was to restate l he licit ish position amt make qtiile sure that there was no misunderstanding. "His Majeslv’s (:«>\ernmenl, " the Premier said, “fell that I liis was .'ill I he more necessary, having regard to reports ii had received of military motemriii . taking place in Germany ami I lie projected Germaii-Soviel agreement. Mr. Chamberlain said llie e mimnnieation, after the decdaraf ion already oiled of the Government's resolve if necessary to without delay all lhe forces al its command, wool mi to ’inform lhe Reich ('linee 11 or ol Britain’s view that there was nothing' hi ihe 1111 es 11, m s between Poland and (, erm a n \ which could not and should not be resolved without lhe rise of force if mdv confidence emdd be restored. In this connection, Mr. ('hamberlain recalled his oft staled conviction that war between l.rilaiu mill (.miiimiv admitted on all sales to be lhe greatest calamilv which could oeettr was not desired either by the Itrilish or German peoples. The Premier also recalled how llrdain li,nd expressed her willingness to assist in creating coiidilimis in which negotiations between Germany and Poland oil lhe questions outstanding between them could lake place. | b‘ added that such negotiations emdd obviously deal also with complaints made on either side admit the I rea I men I ol niinoril ies. Coming' lo Herr Hitler’s reply, Mr. Cliamberlain stated that it. included "what ammie.l: to a re-statcnient of the Nazi thesis that in Eastern Europe, G.a many should have a free hand. If part of Europe chooses to interfere, blame for the ensuing conflict will be ours. This thesis entirely misapprehends the British position. BirCXJUn-ASftLtftCAiia-uMtLCUCMJUI. UH V MBkIMWttMf u —u