NEWS OF THE WEEK
FOREIGN affairs have been so exhaustively discussed from every angle in recent weeks that it is hard to see what good purpose the Vote of Censure put down by the Opposition for last Monday could serve. So far as the Opposition speeches went it served none at all, but it may perhaps be said to have justified itself by eliciting from the Prime Minister several statements which it was desirable to make. One, which on close examination is seen to be rather less categorical than it seems, suggests that Mr. Chamberlain has no intention of agreeing to belligerent rights for General Franco except on the conditions laid down by the Non-Intervention Committee. The Prime Minister's references to Germany and the desire of her people for peaceful co-operation were temperate and wise, and he was fully entitled to ask for co-operation from the Government of that country in the general effort for peace. The answer which the German papers immediately made—that when Herr Hitler did offer armament limitation the Western Powers paid no heed—has substance in it, but that is no good reason why disarmament should be excluded from all future dis- cussions. If it is to be, indeed, the whole prospect is hopeless, for there can be no restoration of confidence till the nations have backed their professions of a desire for peace by passing from competition in armaments to limita- tion, and ultimately to reduction. On the whole, both the Government and the country may be satisfied with the last foreign affairs debate before the adjournment, superfluous though on many grounds it was.
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