ARE THEY SO BAD THAT PEOPLE WILL REJECT THEM ?
asks Dick Stokes, M.P.
" Whether we are going to allow the international financial racket to go on, or whether it is to be regarded as being as dead as the dodo and treated accordingly, and what we are going to do about raw materials so that there may be equitable distribution throughout the world."---These, according to Richard Stokes. M.P., are some of the questions for which the world is awaiting our answer.
Mr. Stokes raised the question of peace aims on the motion of adjournment on Tuesday last week, and again took the opportunity of reminding the House of the Pope's five peace points.
Mr. Stokes put in a plea for broadcast time for those who think that a statement on peace aims is desirable.
PEACE AIMS: PEACE TERMS He said : " When one asks that the Government should state their peace aims, it must be quite clear that there is a great difference between peace aims and peace terms. Peace terms can be stated only at the time peace is made, but there seems no conceivable objection whatever to stating the broad principles on which peace should be founded when the time comes. These we call peace aims. If I may state them broadly, the foundations, as set out by Pius XII and endorsed by the archbishops and the leaders of Christian churches in this country, would form a sound basis."
Winning the war first and talking about it afterwards was a sentiment which Mr. Stokes referred to as " profoundly erroneous." These are some of Mr. Stokes' reasons for stating peace aims at once as he expressed them in the House.
" In the first place, most people, I think, would agree that ultimate victory in this war will come about as a result of disintegration within the enemy's territory, but our present method of setting about causing disintegra tion inside enemy countries will, I submit, only reinforce all the reasonable elements behind the dictator leaders.
RIGHT PLACE FOR PEACE AIMS " The second reason why it is imperative that a statement should be made soon is that we have had our Ambassador in Washington stating what our peace aims are. Surely the right place for stating our peace aims is in this House, and I suggest that some of the statements made in that speech, with much of which I agree, are very deplorable.
" I submit that it is Imperative to state our peace aims in order that the reasonable German people should understana what we are driving at. and should also understand that we do not desire another and worse Versailles—they may then rally against Hitler."
A dwindling House was suddenly augmented when a Member took notice that forty members were not present, but the effect of the interruption was to increase the audience. which heard Mr. Stokes say: " If the aims when stated are just, the moral forces of the world will rally to support them, and will tend to eliminate the despotic, unchristian elements in their own countries. When the Government show a disinclination to state these broad principles, and my friends outside the House are driven to the conclusion that they are afraid either that those aims might he accepted by the enemy or that they will be so bad that they will not go down well at home."