Our own view is that the British delegates were of
all the delegates the least to blame for the failure. It was well known beforehand that the British Government would feel bound to insist upon the exceptional naval needs of the Empire ; but the unvarying American formula was never in any way adapted. The situation was that if Great Britain provided for her minimum of naval police-work she would have no tonnage left over to match the large new cruisers which the United States demanded the right to build. Mr. Lloyd George addressed himself especially to this point. If war between Great Britain and the United States is " unthinkable," as everybody says it is, why not act as though that state-, ment were an axiom and agree to the United States becoming in respect of large cruisers appreciably superior to Great Britain ? If war is really " unthinkable " what harm would be done ? Do we really mean what we say ? * * * *
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