Sm,—Most of the disasters that have overtaken Europe have been
caused by ignorance of the people of this country with regard to our commitments. If we were to make good the undertakings imposed upon us by the Covenant of the League of Nations, we should have maintained the largest air-force in Europe, a fleet that would have given us certain command of all the seas, and an army strong enough to provide an expeditionary force of several armoured divi- sions. The cost would have been very heavy, and we should certainly
have had to adopt conscription, but it would have paid us in the As it was, under the premiership of Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, we in for a policy of unilateral disarmament. The other nations at assumed that we had no intention of carrying out the promises we I made under the Covenant of the League. We were held in unile contempt; we were known on the Continent as "Europe's sco aunt." The knowledge that we were disarmed paralysed the Br, Government and encouraged the gangsters throughout the w Japan was able to seize Manchuria because we were not strong en to stop her, and she knew it. In future, if we wish our Govt to carry out its promises, we must provide the means. This is only way to escape further humiliation.—Yours faithfully, J. E. E. CRASTEL St. Anne's, College Hill Terrace, Haslemere, Surrey.
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