Mr. Lansbury's Pilgrimage The outcome of the interview between Mr.
Lansbury and Herr Hitler last Monday was a brief agreed statement, a good deal of intelligible enthusiasm on the part of Mr. Lansbury and a good deal of studious reserve in German official circles. The agreed statement was to the effect that Germany would be very willing to attend a conference and take part in a united effort to establish economic co-operation and mutual understanding between the nations of the world if President Roosevelt or the head of some other great State would call such a conference. President Roosevelt was Mr. Lansbury's nomination, but the President has since referred to the suggestion in discouraging terms, and other American spokesmen have indicated that the United States expects Europe to compose its own differences first. The contact between Mr. Lansbury and the Fiihrer had a certain personal value, and it has begun to prepare the public mind for the idea of a discussion of claims and grievances round a table. But it must not be forgotten that Herr Hitler has just flatly refused to discuss the raw material grievance round a table, and a conference which assembled without sufficient preliminary soundings to offer at least some reasonable prospect of agreement would do more harm than good. Mr. Lansbury is no doubt right in saying the the average German no more wants war than the average Englishman. But the question is whether the German Government, in regard, for example, to Spain and Czechoslovakia and Danzig, is pursuing a policy that involves danger of war ; and whether Herr Hitler is still ready to discuss not merely economic opportunity but arms limitation.
Previous page
