3 MAY 1940, Page 5

British newspapers, so far as I have observed, missed a

recent speech by Mr. Pirow, till recently Minister of Defence in South Africa, to which L'Europe Nouvelle opportunely calls attention. The Paris weekly summarises the speech thus : Mr. Pirow declared that France was South Africa's single enemy, by reason of her African policy. It was a dangerous policy, for it conceded to the native populations rights at least equal to those enjoyed by whites. Now the "forced volunteers" of the Union (as Mr. Pirow expressed himself) would be fighting not for Britain, but for France, their potential enemy.

There are some cases in which unadorned quotation is in itself the best of comments. This is one of them.