The Struggle For Peace

discussion will do to settle a problem which is already within
sight of settlement. Mr. Speaker, I cannot say any more.
I am sure that the House will be ready to release me now to go
and see what I can make of this last effort. Perhaps they may
think it will be well, in view of this new development, that
this Debate shall stand adjourned for a few days, when perhaps
wre may meet in happier circumstances."

The end of Mr. Chamberlain s speech was greeted by one of
the most tumultous scenes ever witnessed at Westminster. The
whole House rose to him and continued to cheer for some minutes,
and when the cheering had subsided Mr. Attlee and Sir Archibald
Sinclair briefly and warmly expressed their approval and their
hopes for Mr. Chamberlain's success.
Next morning at half-past eight the Prime Minister left
Heston for Germany for the third time in two weeks. Before
he stepped into his aeroplane, he said : " When I was a boy I
used to repeat, * If at first you dont succeed, try, try, try again.*
That is what I am doing"
When I come back, I hope I may be able to say, as Hotspur
says in 'Henry IT^* : ' Out of this nettle danger we pluck this
flower safety.' "
In the course of the same day the Munich Agreement was
negotiated by the four international statesmen, Mr. Chamberlain,
Herr Hitler, Signor Mussolini and Monsieur Daladter. It
was signed at half-past two in the early morning of Friday,
ysth September. Its essence was that by reaching an agreed
method of evacuation, by which the Sudetenland was to be trans-
ferred to Germany in four successive stages while any outstanding
questions were left to the arbitrament of a committee of German,
C^ech, French, Italian and British diplomats, the resort to arms
threatened by Herr Hitler was averted and Britain s ally France
was thereby relieved from her treaty obligation to march against
Germany to prevent the application of a principle to which she
had herself already subscribed.
On the morning of Friday, ysth September, Chechoslovakia
accepted the conditions agreed on by the statesmen of the four
Powers. Before leaving for England, Mr. Chamberlain had a
further conversation with Herr Hitler. To this he referred in a