The Prime Minister's answers in the House of Commons are
not as a rule models of lucidity, but a statement he made on Tuesday calls for something more than passing notice. The subject was the proposed embargo on arms exports to Bolivia and Paraguay. Mr. MacDonald had stated the British position, and Mr. Cocks asked whether he was aware that the American Government were taking action. " I am aware of exactly the opposite," replied the Prime Minister, to which the newspaper reports append " (Laughter)." There may be some concealed joke, but The Times and other papers had announced that very morning that President Roosevelt had on the previous day signed the resolution passed by both Houses of Congress prohibiting the sale of arms to Bolivia and Paraguay for use in the Chaco War. If that is the opposite to taking action it would be interesting to know what taking action is. The trouble is that such an answer is admirably calculated to annoy Americans.
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