18 MARCH 1938, Page 3

The Week in Parliament Our Parliamentary Correspondent writes : One

thing is clear. Within the next few days the Prime Minister must restate the foreign policy of Great Britain. What that policy should be was the question to which the House of Commons at once addressed itself after Mr. Chamberlain had given his narrative of the week-end's events. No one suggested that it was possible to proceed by force to the rescue of Austria. But should we announce our definite intention of proceeding to the assistance of the next victim ? The House showed that it was not in the mood to tolerate any ambiguity on this issue. Mr. Amery was expressing the thoughts of a great many members on all sides when he urged that the one thing that would certainly mean war was for this country to go on havering, half-encouraging Czechoslovakia, half-encouraging France with the idea that we stood behind her, and half-encouraging Germany to think that we would back out. " Let us either make up our minds that we must stand out, and let everybody concerned know it, or let us say to France, Czechoslovakia and Germany, in language as plain and simple as we can make it, that the first German soldier or aeroplane to cross the Czech border will bring the whole might of this country against Germany."

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