16 NOVEMBER 1929, Page 2

The International Bank The Committee sitting at Baden-Baden have at

last reached a decision as to which town shall have the honour of housing the International Bank of Payments—which we still consider not least among the definite achievements of the Hague Conference. The choice. is Basel. It is, on the whole, a good choice. Since Brussels had been ruled out owing to the—intelligible—German objections, it had to be a Swiss town, and failing Geneva, which was also ruled out for a very good reason, Basel was indicated. It is conveniently near Geneva and it has excellent railway communications.. The Belgian delegates, appar- ently, are still making a last desperate bid for their capital on the assumption that only the adjourned Hague Conference can make the final decision. We trust that this Conference will meet in December. The French suggestion that the imminent Nationalist Referendum in Germany must queer the pitch of the statesmen should be summarily dismissed.