PEACE APPEAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 November 1939, Page 5

PEACE APPEAL

KING REPLIES TO NEUTRAL ROYALTIES ON BEHALF OF BRITAIN & DOMINIONS. ■ DENUNCIATION OF GERMAN AGGRESSION. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) LONDON. November 12. The King, replying to Queen Wilhelmina’s and King Leopold s peace appeal, on behalf of the British and Dominion Governments, recalled the favourable British and French replies to King Leopold's appeal on behalf of the Oslo convention signatories on August 23; also British. French. Italian ana Polish readiness to accept Belgian and Dutch good offices on August 28. to which Germany did not reply. The King said “a few days later, Germanv launched an unprovoked attack against Poland, which has been overrun with every circumstance ol brutality. My Governments deeply appreciate the spirit of your Majesties offer and they are always willing to examine a reasonable and assured basis for an equitable peace.” “It has always been my desire, ms Majesty states, “that the war should not last a day longer than is absolutely necessary and I can. therefore, at once reply to that part of your Majesty s appeal in which you state your willingness to facilitate ascertaining the elements of agreements to be reached. The essential conditions on which we are' determined that in honourable peace must bo secured have been already plainly stated. Documents published since the war clearly explain its origin and establish responsibility foi the outbreak. The elements which the Government considered must form pat t of a settlement emerged clearly from Mr Chamberlain’s and Lord Halifax s recent statements of policy. Should your Majesty be able to communicate to me any proposals from Germany of such a character as to afford a real prospect of achieving Britain's purpose—to redeem Europe from the punctually recurring fear of German agression and to enable the peoples of Europe to preserve their independence and liberties—then my Government' would give them most earnest considerThe French President. M. Lebrun, said in his reply, that France, now as always, was determined to welcome everv possibility of assuring a just and durable peace, but '’lily a peace founded on justice was durable. France had taken up arms to put a definite end to the violence and force which lor two years had menaced Europe. Peace could only be secured by repairing injustices against Austria. Czechoslovakia and Poland. ______.