London, Feb, 93.
In the House of Commons to-day, barn) expressed his opinion that Mr. Philip Snowden (Lab. Black-
the time was ripe for a movement towards peace. He said that the German Socialist Party solidly favoured peace.
Mr. ©. P. Trevelyan (Lib. El-land) supported Mr. Snowden.
Both speeches were received very coldly.
Mr. Asquith affirmed that neither Member spoke for the public (Cheers). He doubted if they even represented their own constituents. Certainly they did not represent the democratic opinion of the country. (Cheers). The country was absolutely united. (Cheers).
The Premier added that he welcomed the admission of Mr. Bnowden that the conditions of peace must secure the attainment of our aim. Mr. Snowden's real contention was that there was a genuine desire for peace in Germany, but: where was there evidence of such desire?
The Premier referred bitterly to the statement made by Dr. von Bethmann-Hollweg that Germany was not an enemy of small nations. The German Chancellor's profession of willingness to welcome approaches from other quar-tera could only be described as colossal and shameless audacity for he had supplemented his statement by saying that Germany had nob shown herself an enemy of the small nations. Germany who had annihilated and devastated Belgium and who had done her best to annihilate and devastate Servia, Montenegro and Poland. Even the members of the German Socialist Party, who had courageously maintained & most unpopular position, amounted to little in the case decisive vote against Credits. He reaffirmed once more the famous statement made the Guildhall Banquet in 1914: "We shall not sheathe the sword, which we have not lightly drawn, until Belgium—and, I would add, Servia—recovers in full measure more than all she has sacrificed; until France has been adequately secured against the menace of aggression; until the rights of the smaller nationalities of Europe have been placed on an unassailable foundation; until the military domination of Prussia has been fully and finally destroyed." (Loud cheers). Till peace on these terms was within sight nome of the Allies would ease by one jot their prosecution of the war. Mr. Asquith asked Mr. Trovelyan and Dr. von Bethmann-Hollweg what could be clearer than that? Could it be more full or intelligible? Could he or anyone do
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.