The Rickett concession has given a sharp turn to the controversy over the Italo-Abyssinian dispute, British policy is obviously called in question. The prompt statement by the Foreign Office has, of course, made it lear that the tivity not the outcome of a machiavellian attempt to side-track Signor Musso-Unt, Nor can anyone seriously be-Heve that such a foolish piece of obvious chicanery would be countenanced. by responsible diplomatists, if only for the practical reason that it would be bound to meet with exposure sooner or later. Great Britain's difficulty, however, lies in the suspicion which the revelation must generate, Sir Samuel Hoare has defined the extent of British econumle interests in Abyssinia in order to make it clear that the line which his country: is taking at Geneva is concerned solely with the general and far more important question of the vation of the collective system meats of solving international Ufferences. Now it will be alleged that Great Britain is compromised by the independent action of her own nationals, albeit taken without the cognizance of their Government. It is to be hoped that the looked-for statement from Sie Sidney Barton will reinforce the pronouncement already made by the Foreign Office. A satis~ factory feature of the episode is the outspoken condemnation by those who have been among the fiercest of Maly's rites. Any notion that the British people are inclined to encourage a reversion to the old and discredited imperialism Is plainly refuted by the general tenor of the observations made by the responsible London press. and by prominent speakers of all shades of opinion,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.