. Misfortune seemed to dog the steps of the Unionist
Government since the great success of the Washington Conference seven years ago. The earnest sincerity with which they sought . agreement on naval limitation was Obvious to all who knew the men and the facts. The Conference at Geneva was essentially handicapped by the refusal of other than three Governments to take part in it, and was ruined by lack of preparation and of agreed Noses for discussion. The effort to renew the broken discussion, and to bring France in by instructing the experts to try. to agree upon an agenda for fresh discussion, was easily twisted by ignorant or malevolent people, until the " Big Navy " Party in the States .could, with enough loud shouting, misrepresent it as " The Anglo- French Naval Pact " ! General Dawes is not the -man to lend himself to any such pernicious nonsense. On the contrary, the speech which he read at the Pilgrims' dinner his put with admirable clearness for both nations some of the lessons that we have learnt and that we ourselves have tried to make clear.
