Rohan Government had proposed to convoke a meeting at Rome of the governments concerned, Including Germany, to discuss a scheme. The British Government would not be represented by a delegation, because was well understood that it. was not undertaking any new commit ments in this regard; but it would bbe represented by an observer, so that it might be kept in the closest touch with the course of the discussions and could contribute in any way that [Seemed useful and proper, As to Eastern Buroy able contribution to the purity in. that. region, The German Chancellor, during Sir John Simon's visit to Berlin, had declared his willingness in principle to negotiate a multilateral non-aggressive pact with Eastern Europe countries; and although they had hoped that 'Germany would be prepared to join in a more comprehensive arrangement, nevertheless the proposals put forward by Herr Hitler ought Rot to be allowed to' drop. They trusted that Germany herself would take immediate steps to promote, in more concrete shape, the idea which her Chancellor had formulated.
There was no reason why such a non-aggression pact should. not harmonize with the mutual guarantee pact which France and other governments were now negotiating. In deed, the two could jprlement each other and Tt was greatly to be deplored that, at that moment, the German Gov: ernment announced its intention: to impose conscription and to take immediate steps to raise its peace strength to 580,000, as well as to create a military air force, While the historian must deal with the trond of events, the politician had to face the actual situation race Hleally and objectively, and,. one hoped, with "calm common-sense, The politician had to decide between abandoning the attempt to build up general confidence and peace in Europe, or to look for refuge in those combinations of sheer force which had never yet saved him from war and never would, Herr Hitler's Promise When they considered the future, {it was well to know that Herr Adolf Hitler had said that, although he would sign nothing which he felt he could not carry out, yet if he gave an undertaking he would never break it, "Be it also noted," continued Mr. MacDonald, "that Herr Hitler has publicly declared the readiness and determination of the German Government to accept both
pact". the spirit and leer of the Locarno The declaration of February 3 gave general satisfaction all over Europe because it promised the beginning of a sound European settlement.
Nothing had been done at Stresa which had changed that declaration. Indeed, the text of the Stresa conclusions re-affirmed point after point of the London communique, and it was important that this be emphasized.
'The London declaration made proposals for the ending of certain cenfraland eastern European fears. Britain' was not directly affect-fed by these proposals, but look-upon them, or any yana tion of them that may be made, in order to secure the desired result with friendly advice, wherever its advice seemed welcome or useful, 304 that negotiations should be conduct-
In Eastern Europe,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.