BRITAIN’S PURPOSE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 September 1939, Page 5

BRITAIN’S PURPOSE

AGGRESSION TO BE ENDED IN EUROPE UNFLINCHING DETERMINATION. COMMENT ON MUSSOLINI’S SPEECH. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 24. ■ The following comment on Signor Mussolini’s speech was made available today by the Ministry of Information: “The full text of the speech has not yet been received through official channels. Official circles, however, understand and appreciate the sincerity of Signor Mussolini’s motives, and the Prime Minister already has expressed his appreciation of what. Signor Mussolini attempted to do prior to the outbreak of war to reach a solution.

“The suggestion that by not spreading the conflict further in view of the Russian fait accompli Britain and France have compromised their moral justification for attempting to annul the German fait accompli is not understood here. The British peoples’ decision to declare war was indeed a direct consequence of the invasion of Poland, but the invasion of Poland was itself but a further illustration of the lawlessness' in international affairs which it is the principal purpose of this country to resist. “As the Prime Minister said last week in Parliament, ‘Our general purpose in this struggle is well known, it is to redeem Europe from the perpetual and recurring fear of German aggression and enable the peoples of Europe to preserve their independence and liberties.’ “Whatever, therefore, may be the results of the Russian action in Poland, this purpose remains unaffected and will be prosecuted with unflinching determination?’ DEMOCRACIES BLAMED VIEWS OF FASCIST CIRCLES. LONDON, September 25. Fascist circles consider that the British and French reaction to Signor Mussolini’s appeal is discouraging, and they blame the democracies for continuing the war at the risk of a general conflagration, states a message from Rome.