Now, we are not by any means among those who
fancy that there are spies and conspirators under every bed. We feel pretty sure that if there had ever been any question between the just interests of Great Britain and the decisions of the Conference it would not have been Great Britain which would have suffered. The Inter- national Socialists' Conference, after all, as Lord Parmoor pointed out in the House of Lords, aims at strengthening the League of Nations, and substituting friendliness for animosity between nations. The Conference, we under- stand, has advised Germany to pay as much as she can in the way of reparations. When all this has been admitted, however, it remains desirable for Ministers to be correct in form as well as honest in fact ; they should avoid all appearance of evil. We must say, therefore, that we thoroughly sympathize with Lord Charnwood when he says that British Ministers ought not merely to resign from the Executive of the Socialist Conference, but even (so long as they are Ministers) from membership of a Conference which lays it down that the Conference " in all international affairs " shall be the " supreme authority."
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