Nov. 10.
Sir John Simon once more has shown that in the House of Commons his touch is sure. His mastery over the facts of the European situation was displayed to the best advantage. He rightly and decisively met a sort of criticism which has been levelled at Great Britain far too frequently of late. In secking to palliate the rash actions of other countries,. fashion haz decreed attack on some omission or commission by British statesmanship. Support for a coniliatory policy in this direction or that is commended by emphasis on some British fault.
Thus, in recording the very proper view that Anglo-Japanese friendship should not be allowed to languish, there is a disposition to suggest that British manners have disturbed Japanese modes.
The plain fact. that Japan has taken certain initiatives leading to certain developments is overlooked. Happily good sense both in Tokyo and London is smoothing out the wrinkles and that pect of a Far Eastern problem has lost much of its asperity. But a similar disposition to find excuses for Germany at Great Britain's expense comes into the picture with which Sir John Simon has now dealt. "One specific contradiction requires attention. It has too often veen asserted lately that the disarmament of Germany after the Armi: was, under the Peace Treaty, linked with a promise or pledge of disarmament by the other Powers, This di torts the facts and is on a level the agitation over the mythical "war guilt" clause in the Treaty. Sir John Simon Wednesday put on record. the fact Germany's "disarmament was contemplated as a first step towards general disarmament. The British proposals of March last definitely made a real approach to the general disarm ment and on Germany lies cor siderable responsibility for the delay which has occurred. Great Britain has taken the lead in championing Germany's equality in international status. Whatever may be the merits of the Hitler creed and the wonderful way in which it has restored Germany's national morale, it gan hardly be denied that it has been unnecessarily and dangerously weighted by" a revival of intensely militaristic propaganda, Incidental confirmation can be obtained from any study of Germany's broad: cast programmes or of the current glimpses of German demonstrations vouchsafed the cinema news budget at the local theatres here.
The important argument of Sir John Simon's speech fay in its clear revelation of the German Government's deliberate use of an external gesture to achieve domestic political object. Baron von Neurath has shown that the withdrawal from the League was linked with a spectacular plan for consolidate ing the present Nazi hegemony. Sir John "Simon bluntly con: demned Herr Hitler's gratuitous appeal to the electorate as th product of shock tactics. 'That cing so it ig unnecessary to waste much time over the particular turn in the disarmament discussions which—Germany ostensibly seized upon to explain her "walk-out." Nor is this surprising for,' after all, Herr Hitler's programme all along was based on hostility to the League. However different the problem of Germany's relations with the outside world may have appeared to him on assumption of office, it is reasonable to imagine that, as in domestic policy, he felt impelled for the time' being to keep that item nominally to the fore. Thus the withdrawal was no mere sudden impulse but a calculated stroke of—tactical significance, The embarrassing utterances of the egregious General Goering show that the Chancellor has no easy task in curbing his extremists. Patience with Germany has still to be the watchword. Yet, of course, so long as aggressive oratory belies what is believed to be the sincerely pacific aims of Herr Hitler and Baron von Neurath, so long is it impossible for the rest of the world to be easy in regard to the observance. of German obligations. In thus vindicating Great Britain's position, Sir John Simon made a pertinent comment, on the criticism which has been levelled against France. France has not withdrawn from the League; that was a German action Therefore it is utterly unreason able to talk of the present crisis in terms of alleged obduracy at Paris. Unreason is lost' in reckless prejudice. when Mr.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.