Yet I repeat once more, our op-Position is not to change, for in a changing world there must be ad-Justments from time to time.
But what we are resolved to [changes which should be determined discussion and by "ce-operation, jane E teust that in spite of the danerous possibilities which are only too apparent, people who in all countries ery for peace may yet find the patience and the will to adhere to Mr. Chamberlain described the last three and a half years as amongst the most anxious Britain had passed rough since the Great War, Referring 10 the general election, Ihe declared that the date must to some extent be governed by the state of the international situation, "He re= fused to he more precise than say that the general election would be forthcoming some time between now ud the autumn of next 3 Sometimes, the Prime Miniter proceeded, we are described as one of "haves' as opposed to the have countries. "Tt was, of course, true that the British lag flew over a large portion of the earth's surface, Yet no historian why took a full and mpartial account of the fact would say that Britain treated her colonial possessions as a field to be exploited and plundered in the interests of the mother country.
A World Trustee On the contrary, Britain had gra [dually evolved the' principle that she acted as a trustee, with the intention fof helping the more backward races to improve their ow to take anit fork of government they stood on their own feet and governed themselves.
was in this spirit that Brita administered the mandates entrusted to her, and the Colonies for which she Was responsible. Though doubt she had made mistakes, she had endeavoured to learn from her claims of this character have been, put forward by the Japanese Government, and if the issue 1s confined to the original subject of dispute, it ought to be possible to settle it by negotiation, "But T om bound to add that no British Government can tolerate that {lx nationals should be subjected to such treatment as we have heard of in Tientsin, and no British Government could submit to dictation from another Power as. to its foreign, policy. 1 trust, therefore, that we fare right in. supposing that no such intention fs in the mind of the Japanese Government and that it has no intention of condoning the group acts of its soldiers and has no. intention challenging the rights and interests of the British people in China, "There is no revenue to be obtain ed from guns, bombing, aeroplanes oF steel shelters," Mr. Chamberlain, eclated, "andi some day, when this insane' process of accumulating means for destroying one another comes to an end, all nations which have taken part therein will have Hind other means of providing. em: ployment and the revenue necessary. to meet the charges of their debts, "The real tragedy of the situation seems to be that the future of Europe is being poisoned today by means of the propagation of false and une founded suspicions,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.