Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1940-12-20
BRITISH OFFICIAL
REJECTS ANY BUT
PROPER PEACE

laundering that the issue of battle
il not between war and peace, but be-
tween "war and what kind of peace"
Mr.. Clement r. Attlee, Lord Privy
Seal, led debate in the House of
Commons which angrily overwhelmed
n suggestion of compromise" with
Germany.
The Commons, by a vote of 341
to defeated motion by three men,
bers of the Independent Labor Party
that Britain state her war aims and
seek peace Immediately, eff necessary
in spirit of compromise" because
they said, "there is no certainty of a
great military victory"
The vote followed quickly the pres
entation of the motion by J. Meow
ern, Campbell Stephen and James
Naxton, all from GLASGOW.
Supporting the trio, Samuel Silver
man, Liverpool Laborite, declared
the moment defined by Prime Min
lister Churchill as the time for the
statement of peace aims-"when we
have convinced the world of our ca.
pacity to survive"-had now arrived.
The authors of the motion are
members of the extreme leftist wing
Of Britain's Labor movement.
The four members voting for the
motion were Mr.. Maxton, DR.. Alfred
Salter, Laborite; William GALLAGHER,
the only Communist member of Par
lament, and David Kirkwood, anoth-
er Laborite. Mr.. McGovern and Mr..
Stephen were named tellers, hence
could not vote.
Mr.. Attlee, replying to the motion
for the government was interrupted
by frequent cheers as he delivered
an impassioned denunciation of "the
fundamental fallacy" of the sugges-
tion "that on one side was this ter
rible war and on the other side all
the beauties of peace"
1.-THE alternative is not war and
peace; it is war and what kind of
peace" shouted Mr.. Attlee, who is
a leader of the main Labor Party
which is included in the Churchill
Government.
Probably this debate is one which
would not be tolerated in any other
country at war;" he continued. "No
doubt use will be made of it. But
! believe it will show our strength"
Frequently assisting Mr.. Maxton,
who is leader of the Independent
Labor Party, Mr.. Attlee cried:
eff it comes to a conference and
if Hitler refuses to listen to what
is called the voice of reason and says
he prefers his scheme and rejects the
honorable members idea of liberty
and social justice, will the honorable
member fight or give way?"
Mr.. Maxton's retort that the ques-
ton was Hypothetical" was greeted
with laughter.
"Our aim is to try to establish a
world of peace of free peoples" Mr..
Attlee concluded. eve cannot lay
down the law to the rest of the world
and we do not want to. We can only
say here is our way of life.'
"The best way in which we can ad-
vocate our principles is by striving
to live more and more in accordance
with the principles of social justice
and liberty, and. by setting an exam
pie to the rest of the world"
Mr.. McGovern presented his mo-
ton in the form of an amendment
to a reply to the Kings address open
ing the new Parliament and, since the
three Independent Laborites repres-
emit the only nominal OPPOSITION, the
Government had to accede to a re-
quest for debate on war aims.
Declaring that peace efforts are
mot discreditable," Mr.. McGovern
asserted:
IF the war goes On-aS it is like
ly to do if the forces in operation
today have their way without any
attempt to end it-until February of
next year, I expect that there will be
intensive bombing from this country,
and If that is so the large reserves
which Germany has been piling up
will be utilized for the purpose of
subjecting every industrial city in
this country to Coventry raid"
Mr.. McGovern, member of Par
lament since 1880, told the House:
eve backed policy of appease-
ment because we believed that any
thing was better than what would
happen in war;"
He got the only cheers evoked
by his standpoint when he asserted
he believed the late Neville Cham
berlain, who led Britain into the war