Reports of mass meetings in London in connection with political developments are generally "played up" more than they deserve, and are apt to give an entirely false impression to readers unacquainted with conditions in the metropolis. A member of the staff of this journal in 1936 attended such a demonstration organized by the Communists in favour of the Spanish Republican Government, on Vimy Sunday. Arriving early he was able to see the police arrangements which had been made, and all told the number of men detailed to handle the meeting was not more than twenty. A number of columns of demonstrators, each of a few hundred, moved into the square, while a much larger number of people gathered round to hear what it was all about. The police inspector in charge estimated that there were about two thousand actual demonstrators and probably three thousand onlookers, hanging about in the hope that something exciting would happen. The twenty police kept out of sight. Mr. Harry Pollitt led the speakers, a collection was taken up, and even then without anything in the nature of a police escort, except two men at the head of the. procession, the Communists moved off to the Spanish Embassy for the purpose of presenting an address of encouragement The following morning those newspapers which did cover the incident, and they were of the extreme Left only, carried striking headlines referring to the demonstration duces the old threadbare allegation that or 20,000 in Trafalgar Square the previous day. this newspaper "for years has acted aS|Tower Hill, Trafalgar Square, and Hyde Park apologist for official authority in England and near the Marble Arch are recognized safety Shanghai." It is, of course, a mistaken re-valves for agitators, and the assembly at any erence to the official character of this journal. one of those spots of a few thousand demon-In certain matters, such as official notifica-strafers cannot be taken as any real indication of public opinion. Reports of mass meetings tions, ete., and other announcements appear-throughout the whole of the country would be ug in the advertisement columns such pub-an entirely different matter, but the assembly lication is to be deemed official, but that in of people at these spots in London is an every no way has anything to do with the day occurrence, generally to be handled by a editorial policy of the paper which receives detail of about twenty policemen. no official inspiration; in fact none is ever asked for or given. It is a pity that this Britain's Economic Wealth has to be made clear every now and again, One of the factors which contribute most to but it must be emphasized that the editorial the economic wealth of Great Britain is itn columns of this journal are in no way to foreign trade, but the benefits of this activity Jo taken as representing any official view: are not limited to Great Britain. Foreign coun-he paper is an independent paper in every tries too are considerable gaiters in two ense of the word, stands by itself and has directions, Vast sums of British savings have affiliations with no one. The first named cor-been invested in the form of capital lent to respondent, obviously not very well acquainted Overseas countries, and in Latin America alone, vith the British Constitution, seems to be to take but one example, the latest and most reliable statistics show that the total nominal of the opinion that Mr. Chamberlain is doing amount of British capital invested there is oyer; omething wrong in not consulting Parliament, £1,150 millions. Furthermore, the United it present in recess, before taking the steps Kingdom.continues to be the world's largest 1e has in search of peace about which so market for foreign products, During the past unch controversy has arisen. He is by no three years, for instance, British import-values means bound to do so. It is true that in have averaged £900 millions per annum, of (914, when Parliament was in session certain which sixty per cent. are from foreign coun-statements were made in both Houses as to tries, Such purchases are paid for in a cur-he trend of diplomatic events before the rency having universal value and free international circulation. The British capacity to: atastrophe, but at all times the conduct of and to maintain a high level of import oreign policy and the decision as to whether trade-values naturally depends in large mea-he fateful ultimatum should be sent or not sure on Great Britain's healthy internal amained vested in the Cabinet which ex-economy. This is being amply maintained; in-"reised its powers on that occasion. deed, the circulation of wealth in the country Mr. Chamberlain is following precedent in tends to increase. Two small examples will that he is doing, but doubtless he will, when serve to illustrate this, The. number of wireless he time is better fitted for it, see that receiving licences issued by the Post Office at Parliament is reassembled, so that he may the end of July was 8,661,600, an increase of ay all that has occurred before it. The 391,900 since July of last year. Another aspect Zabinet for the time being of its existence of the spending power of the country is the fact that, in the first six months of 1938, wages the government of Great Britain. All the "owers vested in the sovereign, with one or we exceptions, are practically exercised by he members of that body. The term "Cabinet" is a conventional, but not a legal erin, employed to describe those members the Privy Council who fill the highest executive offices of the State and by their concerted policy direct the government and ire responsible for all the acts of the Crown. One of the attributes of sovereignty which 3 thus exercised is described by Hedin as "ellum indicere aut pace mire, the right of declaring war or making peace. That being vested in the Crown, and through it the?rivy Council finally devolves upon the Zabinet, and to speak of Mr. Chamberlain n this respect as likely in the near future become something of a Dictator is to show complete ignorance of one of the rudiments of the British Constitution. That in due curse Parliament will be consulted is to be aken for granted, but that it should have been allowed to maintain a guiding rein throughout these extremely delicate negotia-ions is something which cannot for one moment be admitted. Why ENGLISH-BUT-NOT-
PROUD-OF-IT should believe that Mr. Chamberlain's foreign policy "has aroused nothing aut contempt in the minds of British residents of Shanghai" it is difficult to understand, unless he really does believe that he Prime Minister has betrayed Czechoslovakia. If that is his belief it is a mis-aken one, for Great Britain has no com-mirment towards that country, but only to Trance. It has, however, the very definite "obligation to this generation and the generations to come to do its utmost to see that mother catastrophe such as that of twenty-our years ago shall not, if anything at all *an be done to avert it, be again inflicted on his world.
France has, despite some reluctance, loyally followed the British lead in this matter; Czechoslovakia has been none the' less faithful to the ideals of peace, and, despite arrogant menace, has comported itself with a dignity, which in the wholly deplorable circumstances must command the admiration of the world. To speak of betrayal in such circumstances is to misuse a word. There can be no betrayal until Great. Britain has been found failing in the desire to honour the obligations which she has so definitely outlined in the course of the past few months. Nor can there be either humiliation or abasement in what Great Britain has done.
A great Power cannot abase or humiliate itself in the search. of peace, rather than a war in which it may confidently be expected to give a good account of itself. It can do both if it betrays its pledged word, and it cannot be said now that Mr. Chamberlain has committed Great Britain to anying so dis honourable. As international politics stood in Europe, the head of the British Government was perhaps the only man who could have undertaken so difficult a task, and, even if at this late hour he can find a way to peace, this man, who earns the facile condemnation of both the correspondents in question, will stand out head and shoulders above those others whose changes resulted in a net increase of £270,000 per week in the full-time wages of some 2% million workpeople.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.