We said, and we communicated this to the German Government,
"Britain declares that she will neither make nor join in any unprovoked
attack upon Germany. Aggression upon Germany is not the subject and
forms no part of any treaty, understanding, or combination to which
Britain is now a party, nor will she become a party to anything that has
such an object." There is nothing ambiguous or equivocal about that.
["Hear, hear!"]
But that was not enough for German statesmanship. They wanted us to go
further. They asked us to pledge ourselves absolutely to neutrality in
the event of Germany being engaged in war, and this, mind you, at a
time when Germany was enormously increasing both her aggressive and
defensive resources, and especially upon the sea. They asked us, to put
it quite plainly, for a free hand, so far as we were concerned, when
they selected the opportunity to overbear, to dominate the European
world.
To such a demand but one answer was possible, and that was the answer we
gave. [Cheers.] None the less we have continued during the whole of the
last two years, and never more energetically and more successfully than
during the Balkan crisis of last year, to work not only for the peace of
Europe but for the creation of a better international atmosphere and a
more cordial co-operation between all the powers.
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