We should be sorry to see the Conference setting to
work on any other basis. The results of the years of labour put into their Draft Convention by the Preparatory Committee, led by Lord Cecil, ought not now to be disc carded, but made the most of. Any other course means indefinite delay and we have no confidence that the Conference would produce anything better in another five years, though this draft may be improved under fresh discussion. The State Department of the United States evidently agrees. Therefore Mr. Gibson spoke in favour of the Convention on Tuesday, when he put forward the, suggestions of Isis Government. (We are delighted every time that the United States join with members of the League in useful work, whether at Geneva or Shanghai or elsewhere.) Those suggestions, as we should expect, emphasize the work of the Naval Conferences of Washington and London, and would carry on their work continuously. They would alsb abolish submarines and chemical warfare and restrict heavy weapons of offence. They also bring up again as complementary the difficult subject of financial limits for war material. The Chancellor of the Reich seems to have made a plea for Germany's equality of treat- ment that won' general sympathy and improved the position of his country considerably. On Wednesday the Italian prOpOsals on similar • lines were announced by Signor Grandi;
