The Embargo and the Prisoners Sir John Simon on Tuesday
declared his conviction that the attitude of the Government in regard to the Moscow trial was entirely justified. It is not surprising that the Foreign Secretary should hold that opinion, seeing that he was no doubt largely responsible for the Govern- ment's attitude. But the question is not so much whether the Government's action was justified as whether it was wise.' What has been the effect of the imposition of the embargo the moment the news arrived that Mr. Thornton and Mr. Macdonald had been sentenced to three and two years' imprisonment respectively ? One effect was, naturally enough, a retaliatory embargo by Russia, so that the dwindling stream of world trade is reduced to rather more exiguous proportions still. The second effect, probably enough—though there can be no more than speculation either way—is that the two Englishmen are still under detention instead of on their way home. No one is in a position to say what the Soviet Government would have done if a breathing-space of a day or two at least had been conceded. It might or might not have commuted the sentences on its prisoners. The one thing that could be counted on to rule that out definitely is the imposition of an embargo by this country. Quite apart from that, the habit of using the economic weapon for other than economic ends is to be viewed with grave suspicion, except when concerted international action under the League of Nations Covenant is involved. * * * *
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