I am impelled to this diatribe by the effect which
such spineless materialists produce, not only upon the morale of this country, but upon opinion abroad. Few foreigners know us sufficiently well to understand that, because a few sound business men adopt the demeanour of a hen when faced by a motor-bicycle, there is no reason to conclude that the country would not, if need arose, adopt the demeanour of a lion. Many foreign observers who have visited London during the last fortnight have derived from too frequent con- tact with the busy rich (while sipping their turtle soup and munching their ortolans) the impression that the phrase " peace in our time " should be translated "apres moi le dOluge." I was talking, for instance, to a most experienced Frenchman, who was present in London during the visit of President Lebrun. " Your Mr. Chamberlain," he said to me, " is a secretive and determined man. He has his plan; he has his secret;—le secret de l'Empereur. The only mis- take that he made was that he inadvertently divulged his secret to an American journalist when lunching in St. James's Square. That was a grave error. His aim, as you probably know, is to hand over the continent of Europe to Hitler and Mussolini, while retaining the British command of the outer seas. In order to achieve this aim, he has to chloro- form those survivors of the British aristocracy who still retain some sense of honour. He has also to chloroform the left-wing Opposition who have a prejudice against a Fascist domination of Europe. With amazing skill he has asphyxiated the former with the virtue of Lord Halifax and the latter with the virtuosity of Sir John Simon. Believe me, my dear friend, your Chamberlain is a very clever man."
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