No final judgement can yet be passed on the results
of Mr. R. S. Hudson's tour in Eastern Europe, but it seems clear already that he has achieved not less but more than he aimed at. What was hoped was that he would be able to make contact, and establish friendly relations, with Ministers and officials in Moscow and Warsaw, as a basis for future negotia- tions, and he was, I know, anxious to dispel any idea that he was trying to reach agreements on the spot. He seems none the less to have reached quite definite agreements to agree, and the desired negotiations are to be initiated. Of the political side of Mr. Hudson's talks not much is known, but if he has been able to carry Poland or Russia any appreciable distance towards a firm understanding with this country in the face of the German menace his claims to inclusion in the Cabinet will be too strong to be long resisted. He would be one of its younger members, and both his recent experience and his general outlook would combine to make him a parti- cularly useful participant in discussions on the international situation. A vacancy would have to be made—and could be with advantage.
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