Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-12
Dealings Frank and Open, Says Premier
Relations Need Moral
and Attitude of Fairness by United States
and Great Britain -

! in our various crafts, In our various
tract each other. Not until we dis
cover how democracy, how national en-
lightenment, start from great flaring
experiments, successfully conducted in
good government, not until then are
we going to have peace on earth and
good will toward men. And only when
we apply those ideas are we building up
on the earth the conditions of peace.
THAT problem remains to the states
man to devise In detail a set of political
relations for the specific purpose of
realizing the moral condition which We
call peace. The problem is, how to
coordinate tremendously and not in a
discordant way the different inter-
ests Of the different nations. Wis
dom, practically in politics, con-
sists In having the vision and knowing
how to apply it, and hope, sir, you
will find some evidence that that KIND
of wisdom has been occupying us In
the document which was published two
days ago.
Working IN Europe.
cat the same time I am not going
to leave it for you in that condition.
We have been working in Europe, and
I think we have been working with a
considerable amount of success. We
have been seeing to this, and this Is
of fundamental importance. The pub
lie opinion Is demanding that those
responsible for governments should not
only take the risk Of war which they
take when they begin to build COM
petitive ornaments but they should
take the risk of peace.
Public opinion in Europe today tells
its political leaders that 1t knows there
are risks in peace; that it knows that
assumptions made between one nation
and others that they are to conduct
their affairs in sincerity and in justice
do lay the believing nation open to a
certain amount Of risk. I will take 1t.
I will take it.
IT refuse to take that risk where
have to turn my eyes across the At
lantic to your building Gas have not
done and declined to do. Where have
to build ship after ship In response to
your building, what risk would I be
taking? The risk that I should be
taking would be this: That the Amer
lean people would at some point or
other in the evolution Of that program
of unlimited building call halt. The
risk would be taking is the risk of
war.
IF, on the other hand, take the
risk Of believing in your word, I take
vic AAoA VA OCAACNulB III YOUR continued
friendship, take the risk of assuming
that you are men of your word, that
you are nation of honor, and that
your honor consists largely in fulfilling
your obligation, what risk am taking?
am taking the risk of peace which is
temporary and in the end I will get
peace, security, certainty, and a con-
tipuing peace to boot.
There is another event that has
happened during the last year or so
which is great outstanding event,
one of those foundation events upon
which great structures of constitutions
and institutions can be built. That
is the signing of the pact of peace in
Paris a little over a year ago. You
signed that; we signed that, and those
people who are always telling us that
there are certain things that must be
withheld from arbitration, place their
finger upon the foremost of those
things when they say national honor.
Relies on National Honor.
II agree. National honor is a sort
OF thing that Is not of the nature of
an arbitral affair. I agree. But we
have both signed that pact. Now, is
there any peace in national honor?
Is there any conduct that is more
essentially an example of national
honor than that when you and we
sign document declaring that GER
tain things will happen that we should
carry 1t out over our signature? How
can any one talk about national honor
and yet contemplate the canceling of
their signature to a pact just when 1t
suits their purpose?
National honor prevents the United
States and Great Britain and the other
so nations that have signed 1t; national
honor prevents them forever contem-
plating arms as an element In their
national policy.
II suppose so long as we are in office
Il only limit 1t that way because I can
not speak for other parties, but know
perfectly well that as regards other
parties the same feeling is there)-so
long as this government is in office it
will always regard its signature, the
signature of its nation, to the pact of
peace as a precious and sacred part
Of our national honor and will OBJ
serve it.
There is another step that has been
taken In Europe which is of the great
est encouragement to those of us who
are not only peace lovers but peace
makers.
AT Geneva the other day Great
Britain and its dominions signed what
is known as the optional clause. We