NEWS OF THE WEEK W HILE the past week has shown
no substantial change in either the military or the diplomatic situation what developments there have been are uniformly to Germany's disadvantage. By any reckoning Herr Hitler's speech was a liability to her, as its reception throughout the world— except in Russia and, superficially, in Italy—showed, and M. Daladier's was an asset to the Allies ; Mr. Chamberlain has not yet spoken as this is written. Russia's bloodless assault on the Baltic States marks a complete surrender by Germany of the whole Eastern Baltic, and the trade agreement between Britain and Russia, announced on Wednesday, while of limited importance in itself, is obviously significant as indi- cating that in promising economic help to Germany Russia— perfectly willing, like any neutral, to sell to both sides—is merely concluding an unemotional business deal without political implications. On the Western Front nothing has happened except that the Germans have failed to secure the prisoners they so urgently need for intelligence purposes. On sea our losses from submarine attack, which in the first week of the war were 65,00o tons, have tapered steadily down to 5,809 tons for the period of sixteen days from September 24th to October irth. In the latter period we secured 13,615 of German tonnage—meaning, presumably, the liner ' Cap Norte,' which was at large somewhere in South American waters.
