Britain and Holland
A luncheon of the Anglo-Netherlands Society in honour of van Kleffens, the Netherlands Foreign Minister, attended Mr. Eden was an occasion for something much more than ceremo compliments. Holland and Great Britain look out upon the war the post-war world with an awareness of common interest and sen ment intensified by war experience. During four years we ha had in this country the Queen and the Government of a Euro country whose Aide to speak with the fullest authority for the people no one but an enemy would question. Both Dr. van Kleffers and Mr. Eden think in the same terms of the need for a univer organisation after the war to promote the peacsful deyelppment the world. Both evidently realise that within such an organisati Holland and Britain have a special place side by side. Both coun. tries have constitutional monarchies and similar conceptions d Parliamentary government and liberty. Both have overseas empire and a greet interest in world trade. Their peoples have similar wa) of life and readily understand one another. 'Together they shout find R easy to set an example to promote that " close, constant, last ing collaboration in the political, economic and military fields " whit Mr. Eden said must be maintained by the United Nations. Recipro. city in the provision and use of air-bases has been suggested as one form of co-operation. It should be possible after the long and inn mate experience of the two Governments in this country to maintain such co-operation in a great variety of activities. Especially close relations between two Governments are quite possible within th framework of a wider organisation, and should help to strengthen it With Britain and Holland we may expect that Norway, Denmark and Belgium will be likely to fall naturally into line. For here is a community of nations which have the same conceptions si peace and similar traditions—precisely, in fact, those attributes whit draw together the members of the British Commonwealth of Nations.
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