Leon Blum will have behind him the cordial support of all sensible People in his blunt determination to reserve the neutrality on which he has enabled France 10 give' 20 valu able a lead to Burope, with the ready ce-operation of the British Govern= ment. The decision has taxed all his authority over" his" followers and betokens a moral courage which does credit both to hig patriotism and his Statesmanship, "Ag the Popular Front -he hat not hesitated to resist proposals put forward though they may be by a powerful section of his. potential allies He. is" right 'The Communists fail to realize that any abatement of France' neutrality would be valsed upon by Tlaly as justification for giving overt support {othe Spanish Government's oppon-fonts. ASIN. Blum points on, 3 situation of that kind would imperil the peace of Europe and gravely jeopardize French interests. Tt-may bbe suspected that some of the Communists would not be deterred by that consideration. So fanatical are they "that they may steleome. the opportunity of putting a. torch to the powder magazine. It is satisfac ory' that Mf. Blum's Government. frm enough to gaulle them of their crazy. sims The Spanish "trouble (will serve Europe well if it brings Vividly to the minds of the French fand. British democracies the danger of allowing national policies to be swayed by. controversial declarations assessment of the merits oF merits of the rival foalitarian schools of thought—fascism or "communism. fs ov witty writer in "Truth has pat it in summing up an attempt of {hat kind in Great Britain—"a plague fea, both your blouses" He. further puts the issue in plain terms which worth noting: can te we blinded by class Preludiee imagine that few Englishmen
$3" to ballate the" terror "of Red ranny in order to condemn Brown Pardes er vice versa. Unfortunately ur people have 2 fondness for taking Sides in wich this wretched Spanish Dasiness is tempting them to indulge.
like to. be Chelsea or Arsenal, Literal or 'Conservative, Charles 1 er Gronuell: pro-German or pro-French. So"guite' naturally" there fe an in-Slinalion to be prosGovernment oF ro-Bebel in the" Spanish quarrel arllcularty it somebody feritating One' own family cran own circle fas decided to be the opposite. Now {tases very lie harm to. champion the claims of rival' football teams, But "there Is "a" deflate danger fin working oneself nto the state ind that can find intel Keetuat excuses for the persecution of Christians or Jews, the gassing Eihloplan'wemen and children oF the Iassacre of the, family" of the. Tear. 'Aad any man, whether he be polite lan, publlelst' or common or garden fraivigual, "who. tries to. persuade Enelishmen that these things fan ever bbe excusable, or that the rulers guilty (of them should In any circumstances be admired, 1s a" poor patriot a ad'Christian, It re. cannot condemn vil outright and absolutely whether ft be practised from the left to the right, ghd Niather i, "weting "happen, te of what. we please to imagine ovr clans or of our own creed, colour or not, then British opinion is ina very sickly' state indeed, 'And in furtherance of this. view, "Plain Dealer," as he fitly calls him: self, belabouts both the "Daily Mail" /and' the "News-Chronicle" for sins of commission in opposing camps. This Journal quotes his words with special satisfaction for, in' better language, they "confirm the view which "tk ventured to commend on August 29, ina leading article on "Neutrality."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.