If the Marquis of Salisbury succeeds in obtaining support for his reform of the House of Lords to be hoped that one of the results will be the better representation of the Government in that House for the discussion of Foreign Affairs. At end of the interesting debate on China, reported in these columns in full yesterday and the day before, Earl Peel deplored the absence from the House of a direct spokesman for the Foreign Office. This is a sad change from the days when, under Lord Salisbury and Lord' Lansdowne, the Upper House was looked upon as the proper initiatory chamber for pronouncements on Foreign affairs. Now, as then, the benches contain many noble Lords who are specially we qualified to debate and to give information on the subject. Earl Stanhope himself would, as Lord Peel pointed out, be an admire able exponent of' Foreign policy but he is Under-Secretary of State for War and the statement which he made, although authoritative, lost much of its appeal from the cireumstitee that the House was not able te discuss it with the vigour and reality which would be generated were the spokesman more than distinguished Minister deputising for another department. So the Government's reply. to the interesting and well-informed speeches of Lord Poet and his supporters seemed listless and unimaginative. It gave a valuable summary of recent history and a discreet vindication of the official policy but its assessment of the future conduct of British relations with China lacked that positive note which might have been forthcoming had the Foreign Secretary himself been able to take part'in the debate. Tt is all to the good in these days that the House of Commons should aspire to intimate associa tion with discussions on Foreign affairs, but it will be unfortunate if full use is not made of the wealth of experience and knowledge which the House of Lords must always be able to offer when that subject is under review. Whether reform of the House of Lords could cover adoption of the practice now observed in some of the Mother of Parliament's offspring Legislatures and empower a Minister of the Crown with Cabinet rank to speak, although not vote, in the "other place," is a matter for experts to decide. It would possibly be a welcome solution of the problem.
But, making all allowances for the circumstances of its delivery, Lord Stanhope's statement j fied the view that the Government's Far Eastern policy would not be the worse for some tonic mixture. Impeceably correct as its attitude may be, the Government does not appear yet to realise the emphasis" wi British observers interested China would lay on" the significance of recent developments. Nor is it unreasonable to suggest that Chinese friends of Great Britain would themselves welcome the adoption of a more positive policy by the British Government in its relations with the people and Government of this country. Within the framework of the now vindicated doctrine of 1926, it is possible to conceive a quickening of the efforts to work on the basis of that newly-recovered Sino-British ce-operation which is so pleasant a feature of current happenings here. Lord Peel's suggestive speech pointed the way clearly to avoidance of a charge of "merely waiting upon event Sir John Simon, not so! long ago, explained that the "rear trouble about the daily conduct of international affairs is that it is extremely dificult at the moment to knot happen next." head What is going to
_|That sage reflection does not encourage pursuit of the policy lof drift. It may, indeed, be properly regarded as a guarantee jof the Foreign Secretary's belief sustained endeavour to keep abreast of the course of events. To such an end fearless: ness in expressing British views on matters in which British interests are vitally concerned is admirably designed to lead. Sir John himself has unequivocall endorsed that principle in its general application to Foreign! Policy. It would be cheering to; have his authoritative assurance that it could be apriled speci-tically to the Far East, As a step to this development there can be little doubt that! attention will be increasingly drawn to the need for giving the chief British representative here 4 definite location in Shanghi Lord Stanhope's statement. was 80 unconvincing in meeting Lord Peel and Lord Addington on that ground that it is reasonable to discern a definite change in Downing Street's attitude on this subject. For instance, the comparison of the respective salubri-1 ties of Peking and Shanghai was almost ludicrous. On that argument it might be maintained that the British Minister could be suitably posted to some sanitorium. Moreover it is not pro-Posed that the Legation should be removed from Peking but rather that the Japanese and Italian practice of providing for the Minister a permanent residence in Shanghai should be looted. Little weight need be eched to the argument that "minister might by his ps here overshadow the Cons.'-General. That sort of problem exists in many other capitals and is satisfactorily solved by the combination official "regulation and nonofficial commons Mr. Cadoxan, no doubt, will be' given the opportunity of forming his own conclusions before any: further step is taken. He will
after having made his official rebably find, on arrival, that, in Nanking, the quietude of Poking will be essential to his intensified study of the Chinese situation as presented in the Legation archives. After that novitiate, he will be free to appreciate the advantages of securing: a mote direct personal touch with Nanking and Shanghai. What then will be the advice which he gives to his chief at Whitehall, the future must be left to determine. It is open to critics to express their opinion, but they will agree that such an opinion cannot be entirely seized of all the circumstances which may be taken to govern the ultimate decision. They cannot help observing that Lord Stanhope's case for adhere ing to the present arrangement is painfully weak. That gives them every reason to persist in their view. On the other important issues raised in the debate it is not ~necessary to comment just now. It is satisfactory to note that they have been brought effectively to the Government's notice. The hope may be expressed that they will receive increasingly alert examination in the light of a desire to preserve a vigorous Sino-British ce-operation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.