NEWS OF THE WEEK T HE decision of M. Laval to
go to Rome after all pre- pares Europe for the best piece of news it could well receive, for whatever may be the terms of the precise agreement reached, it is certain that neither Signor Mussolini nor the French Foreign Minister would risk his reputation by arranging the Rome meeting unless some agreement worth having were assured. In one sense, indeed, the agreement itself is a secondary matter. If this first visit paid by a French Foreign Minister to Rome since the War means that France and Italy have exchanged their smouldering antagonism for genuine cordiality, that alone, combined with the close associa- tion of Great Britain with both, and the existence of the League of Nations as an instrument through which their co-operation can find practical expression, will be sufficient in itself to re-establish confidence in Europe. Then, and only then, can the Disarmament Conference resume its labours with any hope of success.
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