The debate in the House of Commons on the arms trafic threw Incidentally an unpleasant light on the fo-called National Declaration which thirty organizations, including the League of Nations Union, have inviting electors to sign in order to obtain a "straw vote" on peace.con-Struelion. The unimpressive Agure: to which reference was made las! week are laracly explained by the Fevelations given in the House. 2 member of the Executive of the Sie Austen Chamberlain severely criticized the manner in. which the vote was being canvassed, Sir John Simon, in no unmeasured terms. accused ' the organizers of issuing, with the "Declaration" form, green pamphlet containing most serious omissions of fact and presenting the issues in a most outrageous form. Sir Austen followed up, his own indictment with a letter to "The Times", explaining that the organizers found It inconvenient to issue with the green pamphlet a sub> sequently printed blue paper which the executive of the Union insisted should be circulated to repair the errors of the former document, the had prepared a yellow paper beode "Peace oF which purported to explain. the meaning of the ballot. This new circular began The National Declaration out League of Nations and Armaments scheme to find out from all persons in this country over the age of 10 What they think about the prevention of war and the League of Nations.
Tt then stated:
{In this ballot you are asked to vote. only on pease-or war whether You prove of the League of Nations rot: whether you are in favour of International disarmament of not.
So the issue was presented as the simple_one, as between peace and war. "Sir "Austen Chamberlain caus lly observed: graver mis-statement of the issues St stake has ever been pers petrated even. by a reckless. partisan Inthe heat and fury of 9, contested lection. "No "one desires war. That tthe issue, The vast majority Those matters are dealt with tu the first" two questions. "No thoughtful orson in full possession of the tacts xrimpie "yee" or Snos* To, present thone "quesilont 8 a" vote. "only pence, Sr war" isa. proceeding" of 'Shay to quality im petite language. 1 wil cai it"s terminologealnexact= Ttudes" 1f ths "inexactitude™ ts per-petra ted in print by the central com-ut ire we to suppose that zealous more careful to explain, the' real "The simple question put of to door: Are. you fapainst wart Yes? Then put "yes" to claimed by oan em {fons faye fraudulent, progpectug, the many" people of high stan fand geod faith "who have tent. thelt names to it 10 reconsider their posl= tion: the Conservative Party's Execu-ye, after some correspondence, with Lord Cell of Chelwood, withheld support of this ballot in the summer for reasons which accord closely with those so. cogently presented by Sir Austen, but it) w rently {taken steps to mest some of the criticisms. then made, Tt would Seem that the League Nations 'Union tee tost-conted. ut the eameign, for otherwise it would hardly nave' flouted the. views of Drominent m member of is execut Sir Austen Chamberlain.
House of. Commons. both. Sit Joka Eimon_and life, Baldwin emphasized that their, ericioms were inspired weakening in their support {he "League of "Nations but. merely eenuse this unoffelal'eampalzn, by misrepresentations_ of the issues at stake, would cause misunderstand-inv and in fact be harmful to proper Appreciation of the fundamental pro: Blom: in the Uaht of these disces. tier itis not surprising that the Eommonsense of. the cleelor has fumed from giving any sort of Encouragement. to what appears, bea disgraceful mismanaged afar The passing of the great French cartoonist, Sem, will: be noted with regret bya large number of admirers Oillside as well as within, his own county. He was better Known England than most foreign artists of his ype. Moreover his literary genius won for him the esteem of the arites During the war he produced a series articles, subsequently published in Book form, entitled "Na pekin sur te front "(A Wayfarer on the Front), The illustrations most happily hit off the characteristics of the different military types and the accompanying Tetterpress gave a more vivid des cription of the-experiences of the war than many-more pretentious volumes. Seme aleut as an artist lay in his remarkable clear conception of the personality behind the form of the Eubject of his drawing. He observed severe economy of line and if, at times, the hypercritical might find hi perspective astray, no-one could ever Secuse him of failing to grasp and exactly express the atmosphere which teen he was endeavouring to convey. He may be said to have influenced modern caricature in an exceptional degree, Indeed. Sapajou has freely confessed to attraction by Sem's drawings In determining his own method of appeal in the cartoons with which readers of ths Journal "are now familiar.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.