18 OCTOBER 1935, Page 6

. It is astonishing how far Mr. Eden has been

elevated into a symbol of all that is good or bad (according . to the point of view of the commentator) in British foreign policy. To the Italian Press and Mr. Garvin he is the head and front of all the gross offending ; you might suppose that the Cabinet cheerfully left him the limitless freedom of a Mussolini. To the average League sup- porter at Geneva he symbolises not merely British policy but the ideal League policy. Sections of French poli- ticians take as envenomed a view about him as Signor Gayda, and I understand various strings are being pulled in the attempt (fortunately quite hopeless) of getting him withdrawn from Geneva. Here the Lord Privy Seal will, of course, be the Government's best election card. I trust the Labour Party will have the grace to leave him unopposed at Warwick and Leaming- ton, though there might reasonably be an understanding that if it does he should utilise his freedom for uninter- rupted application to League business, "not for speaking against Labour candidates in other constituencies.