Chamberlain answered again. "We do plan. We do prepare. But we must also avoid statements that make conflict more likely. Words can light fires, Honourable Member."
Churchill spoke without rising.
The sound carried anyway. "Sometimes it is the match you refuse to strike that leaves you in the dark."
The Conservative benches erupted.
A younger MP, red at the ears, stood and shook a fist, then sat down when his neighbor tugged his sleeve. "Order!" the Speaker called again, but it took longer to take.
Attlee's voice cut through, mild and unhurried. "I am not persuaded that silence keeps us safe," he said. "Nor am I certain that saying so invites war. We might consider that every time Europe has been carved, we were told it would satisfy appetite. I do not know what is in the secret clauses of this pact. But if we pretend they do not exist, we may find ourselves explaining to our people why events surprised us"
