Sept. 22.
The severity of the test now being applied to the British nation is meeting the response expected, Mr. Arthur Henderson from his place in the House of Commons cements the unity of the parties in the task of mai taining British credit abroad, London and the rest of the country receive the news of the new Aiscipline with calmness. The Prime Minister's leadership. is accepted with unquestioning loyalty. The cooperation Europe and America, in keeving the element of speculation under control during the—difficult moments of the process of stabilisation, is welcome and, in itself, a testimony to the sovndness of the premises on which the Government base their Zaith in Great Britain's capacity for Dreasting the wave. Mr, Philip Snowden can bark, but he has never earned the reputation of having a less effective bite. Few men of his political persuasion are so little inclined to indulge in soothing syrup. He is, and has been, as stern a critic of hi country's deficiencies us any Roman father. His patriotism never has sought the heady stimulus of rhetoric or jingolam. It hay never been allowed to override his own deep-rooted convictions, even when they have exposed him to unpopularity. wastes no time in fervent couragements to fortitude, He Knows that he can speait asa blunt Yorkshireman should. So) he confidently calls for cool cads and steady nerves and Joes not, hesitate to indicate that those who cannot produce such essential qualities will be dealt with promptly and effectively, He judges well the temper of the nation, In times when discussion rages round what should be done to remedy national disabilities, the British character finds expression in much self-depreciation, much grumbling and much dangerous pessimism. When the crisis arrives and action has been decided upon, there is a bracing up of the faculties; the signs of disunion fade and the people are shoulder to. shoulder with a corsmon objective in view.
The world has had proof of this before, Now the same exhibition of calm determination la all the more impressive because the occasion lacks entirely the glamour which, in other: crises, is relied upon to overcome doubts and hesitations. It may be objected that the nation which has so long failed to recognise the implications its own extravagance is not likely to respond genially to the call now made. That is exactly where British qualities and the defects of those qualities tend to calculations. That is exactly why Mr." Snowden—no windy orator of a forgotten Imperialism—is able to assert that Great Britain will emerge from the crisis "as she emerged from graver emergencies, namely, stronger and more prosperous than before." The action taken all over the world to prevent the operations of the irresponsible speculator has the sound inspiration of a belief in the truth of the Chancellor's domestic homily. No one would pretend that self-preservation is neglected in the interests of another country, The lessons of the past. few years have taught nothing if they have not impressed on the world the interdependence of sal "nations, financially and Socially, While, in the last resort, Great Britain's salvation just depend on her people, it obvious that obstruction of that process is harmful to the rest of civilisation.
It is permissible perhaps for a British journal to-day to press that point. The British nation has reason to be proud as well as self-critical, In the years following the conclusion of the war catastrophe it has played no unworthy part in the task of rehabilitation. Tt has not hesitate fed to shoulder responsibilities which have taxed the resources of its men and women in all parts of the world. It has accepted its obligations in scrupulous measure. It has at the same time been one of the leaders in the world's efforts to make impossible in future that which is the main cause of the present economic malaise. Faced with grim practical difficulties it has not refrained from giving expression to those ideals without which the progress of civilisation could not find encouragement. There are no evidences effeteness in Great Brital in her Dominions. generation is as predecessors; it is fully alive to the vigour and vividness of the new traditions which it is in process of forming. It is early yet to consider how the Dominions overseas will respond to the present emergency. There is every ground for faith in them. The presence in London of the representatives of a Dominion in the making, calmly proceeding with their task, is a portent which should fire the imagination of the most sluggish mind. They will no doubt acquire added zest for those labours in their close, first-hand realisation of} the essentials of national uni It may be that communication of their feeling to their countrymen across the seas will prove a turning-point in their historic endeavour. To-day no member of the British Commonwealth of Nations need feel depressed or downcast. Rather should he or she be proud that, without any braggart boasting, but in the calm spirit of confident strength of purpose, the pivot of the Empire is' smoothly adjusting itself to the strain. There may be weaker vessels, here and there, disposed at first to fly the signals of distress. They will find very little encouragement from all around them. They may profitable observe the sardonic note of Mr. Snowden's warning to the sellers of British pounds: they will "lose on the transaction." Cool heads and steady nerves are in the ascendant in Great Britain to-day. They will maintain control and the world can take heart accordingly.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.