American Notes of the Week
(By Cable)
[The SPECTATOR hopes to publish week by week a survey of flews and opinion in America, cabled from New York by our American correspondent.]
THE DISARMAMENT INITIATIVE.
NIL Corso/es disarmament speech proved as much a surprise here as it appears to have been to Europe. Particularly are the • prophets confounded who insisted that nothing could possibly be done until Great Britain took the initiative. Credit is -freely given to President Hoover for the time and place chosen to bring forsiard his proposals and for the new technical approach provided, in the principle of equivalent total tonnage. Emphasis upon " reduction " rather than " limitation," and the evident intention not to hark back to the abortive 1927 Conference but to begin anew with the impetus of the Kellogg Pact, are evidences of the earnest desire 'of the Administration for tangible progress. The prompt and favourable response of British 'leaders has created- 'a happy impression. That the first voice raised in opposition should besthat.of Mr. Fred Britten, chairinan of the Naval Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, who not so long ago made his own embarrassingly unorthodox gesture, will not surprise anyone. The New York World, islichl‘politically opposed to Mr. Hoover, finds nation-wide hupport for him in this instance " already oVerwhelmingly
clear." * * * *•
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