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15

THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 14, 1939 ·

PACIFIST DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS

London, To-day.

LOOK

AT

THE OFFER MADE some time ago by the Queen of THIS

the Netherlands and the King of the Belgians of mediatory offices and subsequently rejected by the German Government was recalled in a Lords VALUE debate yesterday initiated by Lord Darnley, with the support of Lord Arnold, who has consistent- ly criticised the policy of resistance to aggres- sion for several years on pacifist grounds. Lord Balfour of Burleigh summed up the attitudes of these two speakers as "war settles nothing- let's try for compromise."

On this, he commented, it was no use thinking of

peace unless the enemy wanted peace.

The Bishop of Chichester said he was not a pacifist nor an advocate of peace at any price but he opposed the conception of a so-called fight to a finish.

The guarantees the British people sought for the future, he thought, would not be obtained by continuing the war beyond the moment when they could be secured by negotiation. Lord Samuel considered that if Germany was willing to withdraw from Poland the way would be open to negotiation, but with the military position as it now was, negotiations would clearly lead nowhere.

GERMANY MISSES THE POINT

London, To-day.

presence of British 'planes over Ger- A German communique reports the

return of the liner Bremen. The Nazis many as being in connection with the

have obviously confused this with the Security patrols now being maintained over Germany in connection with aeroplane-mine-layers.

that

LORD SNELL'S DISQUIET The opposition leader, Lord Snell, intervened to express anxiety lest the observations of Lords Darnley and The Air Ministry announces Arnold should create misapprehension the R.A.F. has been carrying out these abroad regarding British public opin-security patrols not only over Heli-

ion.

No peace was of the slightest value unless it was negotiated with government which would keep the peace.

The British people, he believed, had no desire to destroy the Gar... · man nation.

Their sole desire was that Germany should resume her ancient and revered place in world history.

Lord Snell's anxieties were shown to be exaggerated when the Foreign Secretary replied, for he was able to describe to their Lordships how for- eign representatives who came to him at the Foreign Office told him how profoundly they were impressed by the British national unity and by the evidence of the people's resolution which they encountered in all quar- ters.

а

DISLIKES PHRASE Lord Halifax also expressed his dislike of the phrase "fight to finish,' which gave the impression of a people fighting for the mere sake of fighting.

That definitely was not the posi- tion of the British Government or the British people.

"We have always been prepared to negotiate. We were prepared before the war and we have never closed the door to negotiations in anything we have said or done since the war began."

Unfortunately, although Herr Hit- ler asserted in speeches that he was anxious for peace, it was far from certain that he was anxious for peace on terms; which would make for the peace of Europe.

Lord Halifax said all their Lord- ships were agreed on general princi- ples, They all felt it a good plan: to settle by negotiation:

FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION Nobody could feel more strongly how criminal it would be to miss any real opportunity fór - peace.

"But they came back to the fundă- -mental`-question. They stood for causes that had led the country · into -war, and if they were right it would be wrong to cease" until they had. done their utmost to secure - those

No "Foralen /Susretary, conclud.. “by "\reanling the British and

goland, but also-over other bases from which these 'planes set out, notably the islands of Sylt and Borkum.

The planes encountered heavy anti- aircraft fire but, nevertheless, the per- formance of the operation was success- ful.-Reuter,

GERMAN

WHITE PAPER

to

(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")

Berne, To-day. Paper, consisting of 48 documents, in Germany has released a new White which Joachim von Ribbentrop, the Nazi Foreign Minister, attempts prove that Britain is exclusively res- ponsible for the present conflict.

The Paper says Britain: "constantly endeavoured to prevent Germany's struggle to free herself from the Ver-

Havas. sailles Treaty."

BOMBARDMENT

RUMOURS DENIED

London, To-day. Asked at Commons Question Time whether instances had occurred of the bombardment of any places in the British Isles by enemy submarines or surface vessels, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty replied "No."--British Wireless.

SWEDISH STEAMER

· HITS MINE

Stockholm, To-day. The Swedish steamer Algol, ́ 980 tons, has struck a mine near a German minefield off the south Swedish coast. Swedish warships are rushing to her aid.—Reuter.

offer, leaving the door open: for negotiation, and the slamming of the door by Herr.von Aibbentrop Vin- Berlin, gand, expressed" hla÷view that after the German-action-li was a very kordemio question wha ther the offer remained Kipen on

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B12

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