Oct. 22, Apprehension over the course of events in Europe has led to out spoken canvassing of the League's functions, Out-and-out opponents Jof the League have claimed that their charge that the League is a war-manufacturing machine is in danger of being substantiated. Yoked with them in uneasy com~ panionship are the extreme pacify [cists who declare that, whatever happens, recourse to any sort of armed argument is to be condemn-led. Another section of extreme pacificists would go to the opposite pole and demand that Great Britain should act without the League if the collective principle fails and proceed single-handed to vindicate broken reed by challenging Italy. This medley of opinion has fort~ junately found expression various forms, so that the Government's policy can be clearly distin guished. It has to be realized that underlying the apprehension is a widespread horror of war, Leaving politicians, professional commenta~ tors and theorists out of account, there are thousands of men and women who regard the delivery of [the country's youth to another ordeal by fire as a wanton act of folly to be avoided at all costs, This feeling is deep-rooted and, not unnaturally, it is ready to seize on /any argument which may seem to promise immediate relief from a nightmare, all too fresh in some not so very middle-aged minds. The British Government with the cooperation of the Opposition parties /has been able to formulate its policy Jot support of the League and to command the discriminating confldence of the nation as a whole.
Thus, although divergence opinion is apparent, the British people, like their French neigh-ours, are able to preserve their national solidarity without resort to the desperate device of suppressing freedom of speech. Indeed the frankly independent criticisms appearing in the press of both countries offer admirable opportun!- {ties for testing policy and proving the validity of the arguments be-
Mr. Stanley Baldwin has cryst~ jallized the British attitude by firming the Government's resolu tion to abide by the collective principle and to avoid any unilateral action. Hostile critics of the League land its purblind admirers are curiously allied in error. The former would demand that the League should be free of all human. defects or admit its futility; the latter would endow it with supernatural wisdom and attribute to it divine inspiration. Genuine as these views may be they obviously cancel each other out. It is impossible to withhold sympathy from =the [League's opponents who become Irestive at the arrogantly moral tone
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.