-2- Kingdom have and are still engaged in consultation with a number of other governments on the present situation which is one of grave potential menace to the countries of Western Europe and of the whole British Commonwealth. The policy of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom has been described by the Prime Minister in his statement in the House of Commons on March 23rd as follows: "I wish to make it clear however that there is no desire on the part of His Majesty's Government to stand in the way of any reasonable efforts on the part of Germany to expand her export trade. Nor is this Government anxious to set up in Europe opposing blocs of countries with differing ideas about the forms of their internal administration. We are solely concerned here with the proposition that we cannot submit to a procedure under which independent States are subjected to such pressure under a threat of force as to be obliged to yield up their independence and we are resolved by all the means in our power to oppose attempts if they should be made to put such a procedure into operation." The purpose of the consultations upon which His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom are engaged is to fortify by as wide a measure of international collaboration as may be achieved the natural resistance which States are bound to offer to attempts that may be made to constrain them directly or indirectly to yield up their independence. At |