Dec. 19.
If is all to the yood that Herr Hitler has produced a specific statement of Germany's require ments for satisfaction of her claim to equality. It adopts the militia basis accepted by the British Draft Convention. It is accompanied by a readiness to sign non-aggression pacts with neighbouring states. Sir John Simon has summed up the prolem as that of reconciling Ger-aman equality with French seeurity. It might also be added that the complexity of the whole situation may he compared with that of the small school where none of the boys are naughty all the time but none of them are yood all the time. The effort of the schoolmaster to find that zero hour which gives a clear sheet to everyone is perhaps that to which Sir John's attention will be directed during his forthcoming Christmas busman's holiday. Being wise after the event, it is easy to recognise the serious defects of the Treaty of Versailles. On that account alone Germany has won much sympathy. Since the Hitler regime assumed power France has been remarkably restrained—a restraint not entirely due to internal political uncertainties Indeed the combination of outspoken Germany intransigence and pathetically naive attempts camouflage inconvenient official Nazi utterances—as for example the bowdlerisation of Herr Hitler's poole for foreign consumption and other features of press control—has been observed in France with quiet, satisfaction. It has done, more than any eloquence by French statesmen to expose the reality of France's insistence on secu ity. Meanwhile the crisis in America has removed from Europe, for the time being, the full force of American direction of Europe's rehabilitation. This cuts both ways. It has con-vineed Amerien perhaps that some of Europe's wickedness was not quite 80 perverse as the Hoover era of prosperity might impatiently have suggested. has deprived Europe of 8 stabilizing influence which might have facilitated the tackling of the fundamental economic difficulties, The sudden spurt in armament construction all over the world ig attributable in the main the approaching termination of the prescribed period of rest under the London Treaty. It has aleo to be remembered that the failure of members of the Teague to conform to the prin ciples of the Covenant has Dear its share of responsibility In Europe the crux of the problem lies in the difficulty of ascertaining which of the two German voices is authentic: is it, that of Baron von Neurath who has declared for co-opera tion with the League or is it that of General Goering who stirs up old: apprehensions lest the Prussian notions of "blood and iron" should be lurking in the background of the remarkable rally to the cry of Herr Hitler? The Chautemps Cabinet has received more support than was at first thought likely. If it can develop the idea of preferring an under-strinding with Herr Hitler to further bargaining with the volatile Left parties, the air may wonderfully clear. Although the conversations with M. Poncet wore barren, Herr Hitler has now come out into the open and it. Edward Phipps, the new Briish Antbassador at Berlin is the hearer of proposals which may radically change the whole situa-Non, Moreover it should be
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.