"The whole of Europe is in turmoil," declared Mr. J. H. Thomas, awp., speaking at the Browning Hall, Walworth, at the unveiling of the memorial to the 57 men of the Browning Settlement who laid down their lives in the war.
"The international situation is worse than it ever was. Everywhere there is seething poverty, discontent, starvation, and misery. All this will find a reflex in this country unless we realize our responsibility and do the right thing at the right time."
While it was true that the heroism and courage of our men won the war, he doubted whether we had won the peace, and that was more important.
The first step towards this end was to reconcile the nations which had fought against one another, and to realize that no nation could stand alone. All are interdependent.
To those people who, with the memory of German atrocities in their "minds, thought Germany should be placed outside the pale of the nations, he would say: "Do you want to see your children engaged in an even bloodier war than this and on a more horrible scale?"
We needed a real League of Free Peoples, not a League of Kings, nor a League of Cabinet Ministers.
"J do not believe in bloody revolution," continued Mr. Thomas, "put in' revolution in thought and action, which will bring to the service of the State not only brawn but brain, and recognize Labour as a comprehensive body excluding galy, those whose service to the State nil."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.