Jan, 18.
Whatever else may be said about them, the speeches of the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, and the late Secretary for War, Mr. Leslie Here-Belisha, on the subject of the latter's resignation of office cannot be said to have thrown very much light on the subject. While possible reasons were denied ad seriatim, the speeches were wholly negative because the reason why Mr. policy under discussion had led to any {Netherlands vessel Arendskerk the "Tele-differences, and no change was to be ox-grant" draws precisely the same conclusion, pected as a result of the resignation. There The ship, contrary to the claims of the Ger was also, he insisted, no foundation for the man Government, carried no contraband and rumour that there had been anything in the liber destruction is rightly claimed by the nature of a battle between Mz, Here-Belisha writer of the article to be "one of those acts and the "brass hats" over the system of, of vain violence which brings no glory to Army promotion, nor for the other story. the German Navy?
The author considers that pressure had been brought to bear upon that German tactics, aiming to isolate Britain, himself. Having disposed of the various have failed in advance, the number of British rumours, Mr. Chamberlain stated quite ships daily leaving British ports being so dis-bluntly that he did not propose to give the proportionate to the number the Germans House in detail the reasons why he had come succeed in destroying that the uselessness of to the decision he had. He is not bound to German naval warfare is proved.
On the do so, for he, and he alone is responsible other hand the naval campaign of the Allies for the success of is administration, or its has proved entirely successful, Their navies failure. If the House of Commons were dis-have managed to sweep the whole German satisfied with the conduct of his administra~ mercantile marine from the seas, save where tion and thought a change desirable he an isolated vessel sometimes dashes out from. would have to accept that decision in exactly j neutral refuge in a wild attempt to regain a the same way as Mr. Here-Belisha had. German port.
Surface raiders have been Subject to the pleasure of the Commons, Mr. dealt with as in the case of the Admiral Grat Chamberlain has made it quite plain that he Spee, while the German Navy hides behind intends to be master in his own ministerial its mine fields from the overwhelming might house. He has all along demonstrated that of the Allied fleets. intention, and while both men were vague Nor has the campaign of attrition by aero~ as to what Jed up to his decision in this planes and submarine, directed against the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.