NEWS OF THE WEEK.
DELAY is the danger of the hour. Nobody could say for certain that there does not lie embedded somewhere in M. Poincare's lengthy Reply to the British Note some suggestion that might bear fruit if reason, good will and plenty of time for talk all combined to make the fruit grow and ripen. But the simple fact is that this combination does not exist. The situation in Germany, though it may not be worse and possibly may be even a little better than it was, is still very ominous. There may be a crash at any time. In the light of M. Poincare's latest Note, therefore, we feel more strongly than ever that the British Government must not be drawn into protracted negotiations based on some very slender hope of agreement. The British Note implied that a separate British policy would be produced if France could not agree with us quickly. Can anyone seriously say that M. Poincare's Reply, which was summarized in the papers of Thursday, justifies us in hoping for that prompt agreement ?
