Minister, under the powers conferred upon him decreed amongst other things the suspension of the 40-hour week in France he was asking for trouble. It was one of the things which Labour had secured after a hard struggle, and it was only natural that its, temporary abandonment would arouse resentment, That was because of no di loyalty to Frayte, but rather because there is always a deep suspicion in the ranks of Labour, in Fyance as well as in other parts of the world, that national necessities are occasionally pleaded as the reason for suspending important concessions to Labour the temporary qualities of which have at ti been so prolonged as to become almost permanencies. In order to place France in a proper posture of defence M. Daladier believed that an extraordinary effort could justifiably be demanded from the whole nation, and so far as Labour was concerned he felt that an extension of the forty-hour week until national defence had been perfected was the best contribution which could be demanded of it. The General Confederation of Labour, the principal party, decided upon a general strike. But in the ranks of Labour itself there was no unanimity, and certain unions not only opposed such a step but gave instructions to their members to take no part in it, but continue to work. They based their action on the declared belief that the proposed, strike was political and not industrial as{the Confederation had claimed, and to that extent shared the view of M. Daladier himself, who all along contended that the proposed general strike was a political weapon levelled against his Mi try. If indeed it were political it constituted, in the circumstances an act of disloyalty to France and her own interests, and once the issue was so clearly put before the workers there could be very little doubt as to th outcome. Fortunately Frenchmen are for France first, last and all the time and the full realization of her imperative needs cleared, submerged individual desires.
Therein is the reason why the proposed strike failed in an issue between fidelity to the nation or to the union; the former won. M. Daladier while making adequate pr parations to deal with any situation arising from a strike which might have proved more successful, did not commit the folly of taking such action as might have sowed the seed of future bitterness. He did make sure that The flight òt the German Condor machine from Berlin to Tokyo in 46 hours ranks as one of the greatest in recent years for it proves conclusively the degree of efficiency and reliability possessed by modern aircraft, Two days after leaving Tempelhof aerodrome, Berlin, the machine was in Tokyo, 14,000 kilometres away, having spanned nearly half the globe with three stops for refuelling. However great the praise bestowed on the crew and builders of this \machine, which already has a return flight from Berlin to New York to its credit, there should be due appreciation of the more valuable aspect of its influence on world aerial communications unfortunately interrupted, in development, as far as the Far East is Yoncerned, by the present hostilities. British and French air lines are entering Hongkong from Europe. Pan-American Airways is entering Hongkong from the Pacific Coast of America and the Netherlands air line is linking the Netherlands East Indies with Holland. A network of Sino-American and Smno-Gernian services had made great headway in China up to the beginning of the hostilities and plans Were in an advanced stage for extending Tmperial Airways from Hongkong to Shanghai, There had been discussions for a service between China and Japan but political obstacles prevented fruition although Japan has been maintaining regular services with Manchoukuo and North China. Recently, another link in the world chain of airlines was provided by the inauguration of the Shanghai-Tokyo service which originally was a military route but is now commercial and, irrespective of political factors, is bound to have a tremendous effect on communications, Major-General Ott, German Ambassador to Tokyo, praising the German flight, expressed the hope that it would be the forerunner of a regular service between Berlin, and Tokyo. The Condor made the flight smoothly and rapidly, and there is no reason why there should not be extension on a regular scale, Normal development of air communications in the Far East has been halted by unusual circumstances' but this part of the world cannot be permanently excluded from the widening range of modern commercial ayiation, Interference at Tsingtao The reference by Mr. Alan Charlton, Nationalist Conservative member for Bury, in the House of Commons to the alleged prevention by the Japanese Naval Mission in Tsingtao ofa shipment of steel samples to Shanghai, indicates that he is not fully apprised of all the facts in that particular case. According to the information available, the Naval Mission refused a Tsingtao firm permission to ship a selection of steel samples to its offices in Shanghai, they having been sent tq Tsingtao on consignment. The Mission not only refused to pass the shipment, but declined to accept the application declaring that under no consideration was the shipment of metals to be permitted. It was explained by the shipper that the samples in question were of very small value, in support of which a statement setting forth the contents of the consignment was produced, but the Naval Mission remained adamant on the subject. The matter was then taken up officially with the result that in a few days an adjustment was/ reached. In future application for shipments of an exceptional nature, it was requested, should be made through the consulate of the shipper and the Japanese consulate, which would provide for the Naval Mission being notified in advance of the arrival of the application, and enable it to be on the look out for it when it was presented. Such application was in fact made, the permit was immediately granted and the goods have since been shipped. These facts, however, do not mean that there has been any cessation in the interference with British trade at Tsingtao, It is still being subjected to exchange, financing and other regulations which make it impossible to do business, and it may safely be said that the obstruction which is being offered to.'the trade of third Power neutrals elsewhere in China is being faithfully reproduced in Tsingtao. the essential services should be maintained, and that loyal workers should b¢ protected if they desired to continue with their work, but apart from that he refrained from taking} the steps he could legally have taken, and the result is that there should be very little bitterness over the very manifest reverse administered to the Confederation. The situation might have been vastly different had there been unity amongst the ranks of French Labour on the matter, but it is quite clear that the Confederation was acting against) the desires of a substantial section of Labour, even if it were not the' majority. Had there been unanimity it is possible that M. Daladier might have ¿been obliged to take measures which would have engendered that resentment which should be absent as matters stand, though in the inner councils of the movement there will be no small degree of dismay at the lamentably poor showing which has resulted from the recalcitrant attitude it
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.