ORGANISE FOR PEACE

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19902, 3 June 1936, Page 11

ORGANISE FOR PEACE

1 Ah EMPIRE LEAGL E. ‘ SIR S. HOARE'S SUGGESTION. LONDON, May 6. Sir Samuel Hoare addressed the Unionist canvassing corps at the Caxton Hall to—day (says the Evening Standard). Sir Samuel said: ”There is one inescapable fact which we must never ignore. We must never fm‘get that although the British Isles are in Europe, Britain is not a continental country. I have never :disguised my attitude towards the lLeague of Nations. It has always been an altitude nr steady support ‘based upon sentiment, but based also upon reality and the needs of the world. I have always felt that the old system of alliances was ineffective to stop War in 1914, and that if it were possible to organise new combinations of world powers the strength would be so overwhelming as to make the chance of successful ‘ aggression impossible. Unfortunately we are still a very long way from that conception. . ‘ “We must always be ready to throw {our weight into the scales of peace, but if we are so to throw our weight into the scales we must have something behind it. In recent years .we have been much too weak. “Believe me—and I speak with my experience of the time at the Foreign .Office behind me, that time after time, the weakness of Great Britain and the Empire has been a disturbing element in Europe and in the world.” ‘ In the 19th Century, Sir Samuel continued, the British Navy was the great stabilising force in the world. There is no reason why it should not be second to none in the world now. Commitments. “As to the part which Britain must play in maintaining peace in the world I would say that diplomacy and stratiegy must go hand in hand. “But we must not make commit-~ ments that we cannot carry out. We must not give the impression that we are prepared to fight everywhere and anywhere for causes that do not concern us. “I am inclined to think the time has come for the British Government to make it clear to the world what are the questions that we regard as vital for which we would be ready to fight. “I would make it quite clear that we are still interested in the integrity of the Low Countries—that is to say, the integrity of the Channel ports. “It may be that if we came to make such a statement we should find that there are vital interests in the Far East which we should regard as Imperial interests which we wanted to maintain. Empire Opinion. "It would be futile and fatal for us to enter into specific commitments and then when the time came to implement them to find that British public opinion was definitely opposed to the commitments in which the Government had previously become involved. “We have always got to take into account the public opinion of the Bri- ‘ tish Empire.” ‘ Sir Samuel Hoare said that our at-. titude to Germany should be one of ‘ good will coupled with realism. i Speaking of the League of Nations, - Sir Samuel said: “I think that we should approach the question of reform with great caution. We shall not find an ideal settlement in a few weeks or a few months. “The first step Britain should. take should be at the earliest opportunity to bring into consultation reprelentatives of the Dominions. . “Let us then arrive at a common programme as to the best way to organise the forces of peace in the future. None Stronger. ' “The British Empire was a League of Nations before Geneva came into existence. “Our policy must carry with it the support of the great Dominions be cause, in the cause of peace, there is no stronger collection of countries in the world. “We must not hide our heads in the sand. We must not be content with words and sentiments. We must take into account the inescapable factors that surround us. And in facing those factors we must base our policy." I