30 NOVEMBER 1934, Page 3

Mr. Baldwin, in reply, was not at his best. He

appeared not to have mastered properly his brief. His figures were difficult to comprehend and the form of his speech was unusually muddled and incoherent. But it was a fine idea to turn his speech at the end into a plea for sympathy with Germany's difficulties. It was strange that though the French Ambassador was prominent in the Diplomatic gallery the German Embassy seemed to be entirely unrepresented on this very important occasion. It was, after all, the first time that the British Government has openly disclosed their knowledge that Germany is rearming in defiance of the Treaty.