Following more dramatic and disturbing developments in other parts of Europe, the signature of the Anglo-Italian agreement comes as an effort towards an appeasement of the situation which political observers generally believe will- have favourable results, But. apparently, it has not cleared the air of those elements of suspicion which strive to indicate the existence of secret clauses nullifying or complicating for other parties the new conditions brought into existence. "Open covenants openly arrived at" is a diplomatic ideal which has had a chequered existence and has received a dubious obeisance since it was first pounded, but an honest effort to remove difficulties, even at the cost of a grave cabinet split, ought to commend more respect than has been accorded the Anglo-Italian agreement by some countries, Japan refuses to comment on it beyond indicating that it will be regarded only in the light of possible British policy in the Far East. Soviet Russia inclines to believe that there are secret clauses applying to the question of volunteers in Spain and territorial concessions in Africa.
The United States, naturally not so intimately interested in European affairs, has deferred comment until working conditions permit such an expression, But this is only a part of the suspicion which still clings to trèaty"making and diplomacy. There mus some unpublished stipulation which accords with the belief that everything is not above-board. and that these negotiations between countries are undertaken to mystify rather than simplify international relations. It is a sorry state of things for it has induced even Siam to come out with an avowal that the Kingdom of the White Elephant has no secret understanding with Japan. and that the recent treaty was solely concerned with the establishment of amese sovereignty over Siam—which ought not to involve n any secrets.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.