The Struggle For Peace

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thank also the employers who accepted the inevitable incon-
venience of mobilisation. I know that they will show the
same spirit of patriotic co-operation in taking back all their
former employes when they are demobilised. I know that,
although the crisis has passed, they will feel proud that they
are employing men upon whom the State can rely if a crisis
should return.
" While we must renew our determination to fill up the
deficiencies that yet remain in our armaments and in our
defensive precautions, so that we may be ready to defend
ourselves and make our diplomacy effective—(Interruption)—
yes I am a realist—nevertheless I say with an equal sense
of reality that I do see fresh opportunities of approaching
this subject of disarmament opening up before us, and I
believe that they are at least as hopeful to-day as they have
been at any previous time. It is to such tasks—the winning
back of confidence, the gradual removal of hostility between
nations until they feel that they can safely discard their
weapons, one by one, that I would wish to devote what
energy and time may be left to me before I hand over my office
to younger men."
In the Delate that followed, the Opposition Socialists and
Liberals^ who had remained silent during the suspense of the
previous week when war was threatening^ showed that they had
recovered their former fighting spirit. Mr* Attlee declared that
the Munich Agreement constituted "one of the greatest diplomatic
defeats this country and France have ever sustained" and that
the Prime Minister had brought his country into great danger and
great anxiety and riot the ship of State ashore. Sir Archibald
Sinclair said: " We have not only given Sudetenland to
Germany', but we have restored Germany to Herr Hitler and Italy
to Signor MussolinL Confronted by his " (Hitler's) " ruthless
determination and military power,, the Prime Minister wilted^
and justice and respect for treaties^ and even negotiations were
cast to the winds" Mr. Dalton said that the Prime Minister
" was unduly hustled^ intimidated and out-manoeuvred by Herr
Hitler" The Socialist Party tabled an Amendment to the
effect that the Government's policy had led to "the humiliation
of our country and its exposure to grave dangers," and demanded