The Struggle For Peace

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that even now they have received sufficient attention. And
I may say that, although the Munich settlement has been
freely criticized, I think it would be very difficult for even
the most determined war-at-any-price man to find much fault
with the paragraphs which I am going to recall to your
memory*
" In the first one we agreed in recognising that the question
of Anglo-German relations was of the first importance for
the two countries and for Europe. I do not think anyone
would deny that. The second one expresses an opinion—
namely, that * we regard the agreement signed last night and
the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as symbolic of the desire
of our two peoples never to go to war with one another
again/ Again I ask, can anybody, knowing the feeling
here, and knowing the feeling of the people in Germany,
can anybody doubt that these words express the heartfelt
desire of the two peoples ?
ec Then I come to the third paragraph. * We are resolved
that the method of consultation shall be the method adopted
to deal with any other questions that may concern our two
countries, and we are determined to continue our efforts
to remove possible sources of difference, and thus to contribute
to assure the peace of Europe/ Is anybody going to condemn
that statement of policy ? And yet there are some minds so
saturated with suspicion that they see even in such a blameless
document as that some loosening of our ties with France.
What a fatuous proposition, based on the false assumption
that Europe must for ever be ranged in two opposing blocs
and that it is impossible to make friends of one without
becoming the enemy of the other. Our relations with France
are too long-standing, too intimate., too highly prized by
both of us to allow such suspicions to be entertained for
one moment.
"It is with the utmost pleasure that Lord Halifax and
I are looking forward to the visit which we shall shortly
be paying, accompanied by our respective ladies, to Paris
in response to the cordial invitation of the French Government.
" There is just one other matter I should like to mention
before passing from the subject, because, if not the result of
Munich, it is certainly connected with it. As part of this