The social entertainments of the week, including Lady Northcliffe's luncheon
at Sutton Place, Mrs. Pearson's party at Ranelagh, the afternoon party at Apsley House, the evening reception at the Duchess of Sutherland's, and the luncheons at the House of Commons and the Mansion House, have been of real importance in bringing the delegates and their British Colleagues and the chief public men of the country into touch. The Conferences held every day at the Foreign Office have been of very real importance, and have shown how very seriously the Conference has been taken by the Cabinet, some of whose members have attended every meeting, and by the chief men of the Opposition. The Conference of Tuesday was made memorable by a speech from Sir Edward Grey. Its main note was one of deep seriousness, nay, anxiety. Sir Edward Grey declared that he referred to the gravity of Lord Rosebery's speech "simply to emphasise it," and added, " I endorse every word which he said." The speech was also remarkable for two very wise and original passages. In the
first place, Sir Edward Grey gave a definition of the aims and objects of British foreign policy which could not possibly be bettered. "The foreign policy of this country is to keep what we have got, to consolidate and develop it, to quarrel as little as possible with other people in doing so, and to uphold in the councils of the world and in diplomacy those ideals in every part of the world by which we set so much store at home." That definition is as sound as it is short, and will, we believe, be endorsed by every serious and thinking man throughout the British Empire.
