June 24.
Sir John Simon in the House jof Commons last month outlined British policy in five definite Proposition:
(2) Support at the Disarmament Conference of the general adoption of the British Draft Con Yention as modified in accord ance with "America's security declaration; Having effected unilaterally immense reductions in_ arma ment, to proceed further, only the basis of general agreements certain European States. for Recognition of the demand of security, to be met by the Draft Convention and by supervision through the" Permanent Dis armament Commission; Fulflment of obligations under the Covenant and the Treaty of but assumption of no Additional obligations; Removal of national' suspicion as the only way to eliminate excessive armaments, lin this statement there is nothing on which an eager public opinion can fasten late belief in the speedy solution of the world's political \difficulties. In the main this lgives Sir John's statement its fi special value. Whatever criticism may Fave been made of his leonduct of Foreign Affairs during an almost unprecedented period of strain and stress it leannot be denied that he has consistently preserved a high sense of the significance of legal undertakings. He has given British foreign policy the advantage of his pre-eminent ability as a lawyer. if, at thi times, the fire and' fervour of some of his predecessors have been lacking from his pronouncements, he has kept clearly in view that most valuable tradi-ition of his country's international transactions—a refusal to accept commitments to which performance may possibly be denied by the march of events he has been accused of lukewarmness in support of the [League and has not exerted himself to give specific rebuttal to the accusation. He is content, speech under examin: tion, the plain affirm tion' of British loyalty to the Covenant to speak for itself.
he does not conceal the inion that progress at Geneva Imust necessarily be slow.
In the light of his speech the optimists and the pessimists over the may alike find comfort and salutary correction. Since it was made events in Europe and America have moved. Another Conference is experiencing the jand disappointment. The new Vicissitudes of misunderstanding regime in Germany has passed through the extreme phases of lenthustasm. It is now approach-ling that period which may bring disillusionment and, consequently, healthy modification of its jeany transports. Sir John readily recognised the character lof Herr Hitler's declaration of May 17 in the same light as this journal did at the time of its Ihe quickly added that deeds were more important than words and therefore hed "quite as much value" to the withdrawal of an embarrassing German amendment at Geneva.
No-one who studies the situation in ta Europe can be blind to the fact that the advent of Herr Hitler to power has seriously prejudiced the cause of Disarmament. Admission of failures in. the past to deal adequately with Ger-
Imany's just claims dos clude cautious attention to the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.