The one remarkable feature of the debate in the House of Commons on the subject of the British defence expenditure is the complete inability of the Opposition to fulfil their normal unction of opposing the Government's proposals. It is true that Mr. C. R. Attle accused the Prime Minister of unwarrantable complacency, and brazen effrontery, and claimed that he should have shown enthusiasm for appeasement and disarmament seven years ago. He alleged that Mr. Chamberlain was triumphing over the failure of the League of Nations, and claimed that these new armaments were a measure of the Prime Minister's failure rather than of his success, but the cabled reports contain nothing in the nature of real opposition the completion of the Government's rearmament plan. Mr. Churchill seems to have departed from his accustomed habit of scoring off the Government wherever possible, and the summary of his speech available indicates that he was inclined to support what was being done, even if in his opinion it was being carried out somewhat late in the day. For these reasons the debate is of singular interest. There is no difference in Parliament at the present moment as to whether the menace to Great Britain which is growing on the continent should be met or not. On that point both sides of the House are in full agreement. Britain will defend herself with all her might against any nation, or combination of nations which care to assume the role of aggressors. With the close ce-operation which has been reached with France in this matter there is very little doubt whatever that the Entente Cordiale would be able to give a very good account of itself. As Mr. Churchill pointed out it was a great comfort and an additional security that both the Opposition parties, despite the many grievous differences which existed, were in no way challenging the principle of the exceptional measure which the Government felt it its duty to propose. Mr. Churchill's plea that the full actual and potential strength of Great Britain should be used by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in fulfilling present policies is an important one, for it indicates that quality of support which can only arise from a very real agreement with the designs of the Government. Throughout the debate there was nothing in the nature of warmongering. There never' has been amongst British leaders, despite what some circles may are to thi But there has been, and is a very keen determination that in view of all that has happened nothing shall be left to chance in the protection of British interests. That may sound strange to those readers in China who have witnessed with some anxiety the trends of recent years in the Far East, but it is necessary to remember that the posing of problems does not necessarily solve them quite the way the poser would like, and that in the end, which is not yet, the situation may be very different from what it appears to be now. That is as clear in the Far East, as it is becoming patent in Europe.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.