CANBERRA, 23 August 1939, 12 noon

Although the position in Europe is still obscure, and it is both
unwise and unnecessary to rush to any exaggerated conclusions
about the suggested pact between Germany and Russia, it is certain
that the state of tension has never been greater. The simple fact
is that Great Britain and France have pledged themselves to
upholding the methods of peaceful negotiation of grievances. Their
pledge can involve themselves and Europe in war only if Germany
insists upon a military adjustment.

The British Government has behaved, and is behaving, with
magnificent restraint: it has, in spite of many discouragements,
kept the door of the conference room open. If it is forced into
war it will not go alone.

Misapprehension appears to exist in foreign countries as to the
effect of the modem constitutional developments in the British
Empire. It is true that each of the great British Dominions has
had full recognition accorded to its nationhood and to its
equality in all things with other members of the British
Commonwealth, including Great Britain. But this independence does
not indicate separatism.

On the contrary, we are still members of one family, and Our
family feeling is reinforced rather than weakened by our adult
growth.

I speak unhesitatingly for Australia and I am confident that the
same could be truly said for the other Dominions, that, in this
time of testing and strain, Great Britain has, and will continue
to have, the fullest cooperation from us in her magnificent
efforts to avoid the insanity and injustice of war.

If her great efforts fail, we will stand with her. It would be a
cardinal error for any other country to assume that there is any
disunity among the British peoples on these matters.

Australia stands where it stood 25 years ago. [1]