Peace Ballot:League of Nations Union, 23rd July, 1935

Discussion in 'Sub-forum: The build-Up - 1933-1940' started by CL1, Nov 20, 2013.

  1. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Extracts from an account of a deputation to the Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin to formally report the results of the Peace Ballot organised by the League of Nations Union, 23rd July, 1935 (PREM 1/178)
    An unofficial referendum, the Peace Ballot posed six questions on the theme of disarmament and collective security which were answered by 11 million Britons.
    The Prime Minister, accompanied by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for League of Nations Affairs received a deputation this morning from the National Declaration Conference to present the results of the Peace Ballot and the Resolution passed at a meeting in the Albert Hall on June 27th.
    The first speaker was Lord Cecil, Chairman of the Conference. Lord Cecil said that eleven and a half million votes had been cast out of a possible thirty million. Of the six questions, all had been answered in the affirmative with majorities varying from 13 to 1 in favour of support of the League of Nations, to 3 to 1 in favour of the employment of military sanctions. The majority for the total abolition of military and naval aircraft had been 4 to 1. It was now realised that this majority would undoubtedly have been much higher if the control of civil aviation had been included in the question. The percentage of total votes cast varied in different districts, but in each case- large or small- the majorities were about the same. 500,000 voluntary workers had lent their services and had found everywhere, but especially in humble homes, an eagerness to vote and very intelligent appreciation of the issues. Every precaution had been taken to prevent the Ballot becoming a party demonstration, and the Press, the Churches, and non-political agencies of all kinds had co-operated to make the result a really national declaration. Its object was to show the support for a vigorous and successful Peace policy through the League of Nations, and it had no other object.
    http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/topics/peace-ballot.htm

    http://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/archives/education/churchill_era/exercises/appeasement/part_B2.php
     
  2. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Clive

    and the League of Nations was about as useless at the present day United Nations…but it keeps many high priced people off the streets..it is however noticeable that since their inception around

    1945/48 - we have had more and more wars..but with the League we only had one big one..so perhaps we should bring back the league...

    Cheers
     

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