Middle-aged men of to-day will read Mr. An" tony Eden's speech before the Junior League demonstration at Birmingham appreciation. They will remember, as Mr. has recalled, how the world, prior to 19M, for many years suffered the same anxiety t which the younger generation endures They saw the nations of the world slowly pro~ gress to that state in which war became inevitable, and the new generation naturally wonders whether it is to be called upon to accept the same dread responsibilities as their predecessors. 1f mankind has learned no lesson from all that has occurred since the commencement of this century there can be but one answer 1o the question. If on the other hand it has acquired some little more wisdom, then the future may not prove so gloomy as it seems to be at the moment. There is a great deal to be said for his contention that friendship between democracies and dictatorships must not become impossible. The British policy has consistently been that whatever government a nation may choose is entirely its own business, and so long as that policy is accepted, and if it were more widely realized to have the value it undoubtedly has, there should be no reason why a better political atmosphere should not be produced. There should be the most earnest endeavour on the part of all statesmen to discover what is common to both systems of government, and with that as a basis proceed to work towards 2 greater understanding than at present exists. It the world has to become the scene of a continued ideological struggle, war can be the only outcome, and it is the duty of all governments to strive in their foreign policies not only for peace now, but for the future. Tt is feared that there are some countries who have not that ideal before them, but it can confidently be expected that it will dawn upon them eventually that the best method of securing peace is to seek devotedly for agreement, and not continually dwell on differences.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.