While the feeling in favour of an enquiry . in
this country into the Arms Traffic is strong — the Congregational Union passed a resolution in its favour on Wednesday—it would be a mistake to build too much on the success of the American Senate Committee in bringing hidden transactions to light and getting private documents produced and read. Senate enquiries proceed on very different lines from anything known in this country. The committee has ample funds at its disposal, it engages able young lawyers to prepare a casethey become almost counsel for the prosecution- . and it has full power to order the production of documents. That, combined with the ability and pertinacity of . Senator Nye in the chair, has resulted in the disclosures that have shocked the world in the past month. No Departmental Committee, nor even a Royal Commission, possesses such powers here. For that reason some of the strongest advocates of disarmament and the abolition of the private manufacture of arms are very hesitant about pressing for an enquiry. They fear it might lead to an acquittal for lack of power to secure the necessary evidence. As part of the same paradox the arms firms might rather welcome an enquiry.
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