SIR, —I would draw the attention of Liberals who have attempted
to refute the statement of Mr. Stein that "the Liberal Nationals ... supported rearmament when the Independent Liberals denounced it' to the following facts: In July, 1934, the Government announced an increase of 41 squad- rons to the Royal Air Force., It was the first proposal to increax the armed forces of the Crown following on the rise of Hitler it power. On July 30th, 1934, the Labour Party moved a vote of censure on the ground that "His Majesty's Government was entering upon' policy of rearmament neither necessitated by any new commitment nor_ calculated to add to the security of the nation, but certain to jeopardise the prospects of international disarmament and to en- courage a revival of dangerous and wasteful competition in prepara. tion for war." For this vote of censure the Independent Liberal Party spoke and voted. It was a vote thoroughly representative of the Party, and included Sir Herbert Samuel, Mr. Dingle Foot, Sir Percy Harris, Mr. Harcourt Johnstone and Mr. Mander. I remember the occasion vividly, for it was the first time that I separated mYsel in the Division Lobby from Sir Herbert Samuel and his friends on major issue. Lady Violet Bonham Carter must remember it HA for the Women's Liberal Federation, in which she has played suck a distinguished part, was most insistent that the Independent Libenl Party should join the Labour Party in denouncing rearmament.
In October, 1935, Mr. Baldwin appealed to the country, and in that election rearmament was the main dividing-line between the Government forces and the Opposition. In his efforts to seal? general assent to the need even for the relatively small measure of re' armament that was being proposed Mr. .Baldwin failed to smug agreement from the Independent Liberals. Sir Herbert Samuel, lit the debate that preceded the election on October 22nd, 5935, said that in existing conditions "it appeared to him that this was not the moment at which the nation can be ask& to give any judgement on the question of armaments." Yet Lady Violet says that it was in 1935 that the Independent Liberals realised the extent of German rearmament. If they intended a call to arms, their trumpet certainly sounded a most uncertain note. Lest this may be regarded as ancient history I would refer to the vote of the Independent Liberal Party against conscrip- tion. That was on April 27th, 1939. Within six months me were at war.
It may well be that issues will arise after the war upon which Liberals can effectively unite, but the fusion must be on a basis of realism and a willingness to take, if necessary, a line of action unpopular with sections of the party in the country. It Was this that we other Liberals were prepared to do before the war on the supreme issue of rearmament.—Yours truly, ROBERT BERNAYS. Rouse of Commons.
Previous page
