Britain had led the way in disarmament, said Sir John, who pro-coeded to give details of reductions in the British fighting services. He then vigorously criticised the Labour leader, the Hon. Sir Stafford Cripps, for his assertion that Britain had' done nothing.
The Foreign Secretary roused cheers by saying that, when a plea iwas made for fair-play for Germany, it, should not be forgotten Ghat 'Britain was entitled to demand play herself. Britain had led the way in restoring Ger. many to the position of an. equal, wrtner, in removing. diseriminaions against her and in making her a member of the League and a member of the League' Council, hich position she now spurned.
Britain, he continued, had also secured the evacuation of the Rhineland, while the history of re-
It would be gross injustice to Great Britain, however, to forget all that she had done to promote good relations in Europe after the by obliterating distinctions between the victor and the van-
The most materiel contribution to. restoring confidence in Europe, said Sir John, would be an inter" national agreement on disarmament, to which, of course, Germany shoal be a party, The central political issue was how "to. reconcile Germany's mands "for equi desire for. security.
Sir John said, "I believe we have
it was Britain Who brought the Yer special role to play, because Parties together." We have used, fand we are going on using, every effort to that end, whether Germany is at Geneva or not.
We shall not gob out of our difficulties by trying isolation when the advantages. of isolation have disappeared. We shall not increase Jour influence for peace by declar-ug that it does not matter to us what our neighbours in Europe do suffer.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.