It is to be hoped that the report. published in these columns yesterday to the effect that Britain's patience and conciliatoriness on the subject of the disarmament negotiations are about to run out, is not correct, for if anything of the sort should' occur it would be a tragic blow to the cause of peace. On the other hand the strenuous efforts which Great Britain has made to secure some sort of agreement between Germany and France, the sacrifices she has made to achieve all round reduction of armaments, when fully realized, do in face of repeated failure create such an atmosphere of discouragement that. the Government might very well proceed to the strengthening of the nation's defences without any. particular blame attaching to it. Indeed in view of the present situation such a step may soon. rove to be a counsel of wisdom. Prior to such a development the opinion seems to prevail that the time has come for others to show some initiative in the matter which is now so unfortunately deadlocked, and it may be that the visit of Signor Suvich to London may result in at least saving something' from the disarmament wreck, should be pointed out, in all fairness to the two countries whose: opinions at the present moment are 80 greatly at variance, that it would be unfair to accuse either of them.
intransigeance. The stands which they have adopted are based upon a very acute realization of their respective needs. The French remembering the lessons of the are reluctant that they should have on their borders a neighbour capable of inflicting the damage which has been done to her on two occasions. To that end they have perfected defences of unparalleled strength, at the same time strongly opposing any attempt on the part of Germany to rearm. There seems the two facts to be an indication that even the French understand that ultimately it will not be possible to withhold consent from a certain degree of German rearmament. The German attitude is just plain, and just as convincing, A rong and virile people will not: ong endure a state of affairs which imposes upon them what practically amounts to a moral subjection in military matters. Its claim to adequate means of defence is a just one and one which must ultimately be granted, It was with the desire to bring 80 widely differing points of view into juxtaposition that Sir John Simon, and Mr. Anthony Eden pursued their pilgrimages through the variousjapitals of Europe in search of a formula acceptable to both parties, That they have failed "up to the present is to them no discredit, but rather an indication of the difficulties with which this particular problem is hedged. Both Italy and Great Britain appear to agree that the German demands ave to be met in some way. Their attitude is strengthened, and France's to some extent weakened by the conclusion of the German-Polish non-aggression pact, and view of the reconvening "of the Disarmament Conference, France is seeking to obtain the support of Poland and the Little Entente for '4 proposal which seems doomed to failure. The suggestion upon which France secks to base her position before the Conference when it meets envisages the elimination of the race in armaments, the reduction of armaments without sanctioning the re-arming of Germany, and guarantees of security by all countries. Tt means the continuation of a state of affairs in which Germany militarily defenceless under guarantees to France against' an offend sive of which Germany is at present, and would still be incapable. Without undue _pessimism it is difficult to believe that any such proposal is not foredoomed. It entirely fails to meet the German point of view, indeed makes but scant concession to it, and even in its more positive
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.