Nov. 1.
Exptyinc a bucket or even a tank of water into the Pacific cannot be supposed to have any appreciable effect on the English Channel.—Similarly, comment, in Asia, on -the policies and statesmen of Europe, may well appear slightly absurd. Nevertheless we cannot forbear calling attention to the letter we print to-day from Mr. Henry Metealf, because it seems so well to express the thoughts of the millions of plain men, whether on Pacific or Atlantic shores, who make up the world's public opinion. People, he says, are hungry and out of work. Governments squabble and Leagues of Nations and Washington Conferences bring no improvement. Tt is rather a bitter pill to be asked to admit that one nation is pretty well as much to blame as another: but if we could project ourselves a century hence and see-the present age from that point we might have to confess that there was truth in the charge. More difficult, because involving a question of practical politics, of something to be done, is the idea of recognizing Russia. To be frank, Englishmen do not much want to recognize her. The Bolsheviks have committed abominable crimes, they wish to upset our social order: and they are suspected of disliking soap and water. All excellent reasons for keeping them at arm's length. But as it appears certain that we shall have to recognize. them sooner or later there may well be worldly
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.