In the meantime, the Political Committee, presided over by the
British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, has worked harmoniously. Mr. Henderson is supported 'by Sir Eric Phipps and Mr. Philip Baker on behalf of this country. Probably the private conversations are more important in this sphere. One subject in discussion was the proposed Commission de Verification et Consta- tation. The best that we can hope to hear of them would be that the parties would agree to let it fade away altogether. The Saar Basin has evidently been men. tioned.' M. Briand is reported to have deprecated its -discussion at The Hague, because it was a matter entirely between France and Germany alone. We agree that this -Hague Conference is not the place to settle that business, but we differ emphatically with M. Briand's reason. The Saar 'Basin is, under the Treaty of Versailles, entirely a matter for the League' of Nations to -deal with.' More important is the question of the evacuation of the Rhineland, and here the British, French and German delegates seem to have conducted their dismission with such harmony that we have great hopes of a peaceful and satisfactory agreement to evacuate the territory before Christmas, fully a month earlier than we expected.
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