As the ovation subsided, all the weight of the events of the past week seemed suddenly to have descended upon the Prime Minister's fortitude, He controlled himself with a great effort, but the ringing voice had gone. He might have been asking a religious assembly to offer prayer, as in scarcely audible tones he concluded: "I hope the House will be prepared to release me now to see what I cam make of this last effort."
In a moment Mr. Chamberlain had resumed his seat, Both the Prime Minister and Sir John Simon, Chancellor of the Exchequer, who had sat beside him throughout, had moist eyes as they spoke a few words to one another, While Mr. Chamberlain knew when he began his speech that Herr Hitler had postponed mobilization, the additional news of Herr Hitler's invitation to a conference only reached him while he was speaking.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.