With the passage in the House of Commons of the Government motion advocating the introduction of conscription in Great Britain by a majority which shows that the division followed ordinary party lines, it is possible to pay attention to other important developments throughout the world. The enactment of the necessary legislation to make the motion operative should be practically a matter of routine, for there is now no reason to suppose that the Government will lose any of that support upon which it would normally be entitled to count. Eyes are now naturally turned to Germany, and by the time these lines appear in print the world at large will know what Herr Hitler has had to say before the Reichstag regarding the latest developments in the European situation. Taking what is undoubtedly the proper view of the matter it would seem that in recent months undue importance has been attached to Der Fuehrer's utterances. There have been on practically every occasion much anxious speculation as to what epoch-making sentiments he will express, Rear-Admiral Murray Rear-Admiral A. J, L. Murray, whose departure from Marseilles in the P. & O. s Ranpura en route for Hongkong was reported by the correspondent of the "North-China Daily News" in London yesterday, has been appointed to the newly-created post of Rear-Admiral of the Fifth Cruiser Squadron. as from April 14. He was formerly in command of the Signal School of the Raya! Naval Barracks, Portsmouth, which Post he took up in August, 1937, retaining it until his promotion to flag rank in January of year. He has been in command of the xth Destroyer Flotilla, and in 1919 was decorated service in North Russia in the for course of which he was wounded. The Fifth Cruiser Squadron is in reality the nucleus of the British Naval forces on the China Station, of which Vice-Admiral Sir Percy Noble is the commander-in-chief. He has already under him another flag officer in the person of Rear-Admiral R. V. Holt who is senior officer on the Yangtze, and is at present up-river, after having stayed some time in Shanghai, on a first visit since Hankow fell into the hands of the Japanese. Rear-Admiral Murray's post is in fact a new ion, created for the purpose of relieving the Commander-in-chief of some of the growing amount of administrative work which is now falling to his lot. It is not believed that the new creation in any way pre sages the strengthening of the British naval forces in the Far East, for present indications in Europe would suggest that this is not the time at which to seek to reinforce the British Far East. It is believed that. Rear-admiral Murray will hoist his flag in one of five ships which at present comprise the ifth Cruiser Squadron only to find in the ultimate result that noth- The Cup Final ing quite so drastic as was feared eventuated It is about time that these various speeches by the different German leaders should be reduced to their proper importance. Further addresses are expected on May 1, the German national day. Between now, and then there will be much speculation, whipped up by natural anxiety, and an exaggerated campaign of sensationalism, probably only to fud that apart from the usual type of rodomontade devised especially for home consumption Herr Hitler will have said little that the world does not already know Owing to the difference of time between Shanghai and Europe it will not be possible to comment on Herr Hitler's Reichstag speech. It may not in the ultimate result be necessary. If he flatly rejects President Roosevelt's peace appeal, that will come as no surprise to the world and need not even have a worsening effect upon the existing tension. If he does not finally slam the door upon all attempts at securing peace, he will merely have shown a wise estimation of existing circumstances which no clever states. man can afford to ignore.
For that reason the report from Washington that the United States Government does not intend to comment on Herr Hitler's speech, preferring to await a written communication which it may never receive, has about it much which is commendable. The enormous amount of diplomatic backchat which has followed every pronouncement of the Dictators has done a great deal towards enhancing any disturbing effect the speakers may have planned to create. It is suggested that the time has long passed when these rhetorical exchanges serve any good purpose, and that the nations of the world would be better engaged about their Own business of placing themselves in the best posture of defence against the threats which have already been uttered from time to time, and which in effect can only now be repeated. Probably one of the best counters to these eloquent offensives on the part of the two Dictators would be to take quiet note of the bogles which they are continually raising for the disturbance of Europe, and to go on quietly preparing to meet any of the threats which these nightmare creations of oratory envisage. The) time for words has long passed into the limbo of forgotten things. From now on it will be actions which will speak the loudest, and the steps which have been taken in Great Britain, and the determination that has been evinced that force shall be met by force, that right shall be vindicated if necessary by might are more powerful in their silent eloquence than all the sword rattling which Europe since the beginning of the century has had to listen to, and which by now ought to be relegated to its proper place in the sphere of practical politics. The issue has already been clearly defined. If the two Dictators desire to drag their unwilling people into the most ghastly war the world will ever have experienced, that dread responsibility must be for ever theirs. The responsibility of the democracies, equally undesirous of waz, will be to see that victory will not finally rest with the aggressor nations, The time has gone for talking, the hour for action is long overdue. The democracies should be too busy in preparation to be able to waste much time in worrying over the indulgence of oratorical pyrotechnics.
In this connection it is interesting to see in the United States how Senator Key Pittman, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has proposed the enactment of legislation permitting the President to "place restrictions on trade and commerce between Conscription in Britain, Chancellor Hitler's long-awaited speech on President Roosevelt's peace appeal, Anglo-Russian parleys, French preparedness and other aspects of a rapidly-changing sit must be absorbing the a an peoples today, b ost of the Bri! people ar discussing in the "pubs" today is p Final to be played at Wembley f'ernoon.
Political events have malevolent-ar to overshadow all the but between the offer's d Mr, Neville Cha: berlain at least before trek to the ba greatest of sp ting fixtures in ye been settled The Cup Final not be as popular as it might me reac ts cate height of enthusiasm when a northern a southern team meet in London to decide football honours, but a midlands team meets a sout usual c nees. Wolver umsti hampton Wanderers, a team of historic renown and prowess, will play Portsmouth, and while Wolverhampton are Cup Final veterans Portsmouth has still to add its name to the cup shields. Wolverhampton last won the Cup in 1921 at Stamford Bridge but the team is one of the oldest in the competition. Wolverham ton was the first w n 1871, but for three years in succession, 1877 and 1878 they won, thereby becoming permanent holders of the trophy, but the Cup was returned on the understanding that thencefor: h it could not be won outright. Since then there have been three cups, the first one being stolen and never recovered, but ent one has a distinguished list of winners inscribed on the base and represens the efforts of professional teams against the amateur teams which originally competed The sports columns of London newspapers have been full of speculation on the outcome of the match with Wolverhampton reigning as fav-eurites and Pi ath as the gallant fighters earing in the final for the third time inspired by high hopes that fortune may at last turn in th it. Following a custom hed yea. the King will attend the ug off a couple of hours from duties more onerous by existing conditions to see the battle of the giants for the most coveted of the English.fooball sea:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.