10 JANUARY 1931, Page 2

On Tuesday, Sir Samuel Hoare laid a Conservative opinion before

the Federal Structure Sub-Committee. He did not profess to speak for the Unionist Party. The sense of his speech was an unwillingness to commit himself until the picture of a Federal Constitution had been completed. " My attitude," he declared, " is not a non-possumus." He might be satisfied on every point under discussion or he might not—it was too soon to say. Whereupon Lord Sankey intervened with " We must fill in the picture as, soon _as we can for Sir Samuel. He is quite right." That was an opportune, neat and practical remark, but we are left lamenting the inability of Sir Samuel Hoare to see that the total absence of constructive enthusiasm in his speech was a bad psychological defect. * * *