28 SEPTEMBER 1934, Page 1

Our own Government meanwhile maintains an attitude of complete detachment,

which its leading members seem to regard as a great deal more glorious than it in fact is. Austria, we are told, in no sense concerns Great Britain. It in no sense concerned Great Britain in July, 1914, but in August, 1914, opinions about that underwent some revision. If the peace of Europe were broken over Austria today the danger of this country being drawn into war again would be grave. The assertion that public opinion would tolerate no new commitments would be more convincing if Ministers had ever made any kind of appeal to public opinion. But, actually, it is much more a question of honouring old commitments than of contracting new ones. . An agreement like Locarno had its special use in bringing Germany into the League, and it will have its special place when Germany is no longer a League member nor bound by the League Covenant. If the Covenant means anything at all it means that League Members will take every necessary step to preserve Austria 'against external attack. Mr. Baldwin and other members of the Cabinet have more than once declared firmly that we stand loyally by our Covenant obligations, but some of the language used by the Press, and attributed, rightly or wrongly, to Ministers, points to a very different conclusion. No country, certainly no European country, can without repudiating its treaty obligations simply wash its hands of Austria. And we shall add considerably to European stability by making it clear that we are doing nothing of the kind.