The Reply to Mr. Roosevelt Surmise as to the probable
content of any speech by Herr Hitler is completely profitless, and the prospect that repre- sentations by Sir Nevile Henderson would materially influ- ence the Reichstag utterance of the 28th was always extremely meagre. The reasons for the British Ambassador's sudden return have not been disclosed—it pretty certainly was not the mere routine affair that the Prime Minister suggested in the House of Commons—and till it is known precisely what the intention was judgement must be suspended on its wisdom. The first effects of the Ambassador's return were not fortunate. It was regarded as a recurrence to the " appeasement " policy, and when Sir Nevile Henderson desired to see Herr von Ribbentrop, Herr von Ribbentrop found himself too much occupied entertaining the Yugoslav Foreign Minister. The United States Government appears to have been better advised in deferring a decision regarding its Ambassador's return till after the Reichstag speech. Whatever else that utterance may contain, great play is evidently to be made with the replies of the small States which have been solemnly asked whether they had any fear of attack by Germany. Even Holland, which has been reinforc- ing its frontier, calling up reservists and preparing to check an invading army by opening its dykes, has felt constrained to answer No. Why certain British papers should have described a meaningless and childish artifice (bearing all the signs of Dr. Goebbels' authorship) as " clever " and "astute" is incomprehensible.
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