A SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK
MR. BALDWIN has gone from Wales to Blickling Hall in Norfolk to stay with Lord Lothian (resisting successfully the temptation to drop in on the way at the special Cabinet meeting called to discuss inter- national events of the first importance), and it seems reasonable to suppose that the conversation in that historic mansion will range sooner or later round the articles Lord Lothian has been contributing to the Observer on the future of the League of Nations—the more so since the subject is one on which the Cabinet ought to make up its mind in the next fortnight. Lord Lothian's general conclusions are that there can be no effective League till the nations are prepared for sacrifices of sovereignty which they have no idea of making at present ; that military commitments like those involved in Articles X and XVI of the Covenant must go ; that Great Britain must reaffirm the Locarno guarantee, thus assuring peace in Western Europe, but apart from this keep her hands entirely free. I hope the Prime Minister will not be persuaded to think this adequate. Lord Lothian says nothing about making economic sanctions universal, and it may well be doubted whether a Locarno guarantee would in fact secure peace in Western Europe, and whether we ourselves could escape entanglement, if it enabled Germany to attack Russia, and thus involved France in a European conflict. It is hard to see how an agreement on the Locarno model could be really effective over a smaller area than all Europe. But a limited treaty might have its uses if regarded definitely as a first step.
* * I notice a not very conspicuous paragraph in a daily paper mentioning that a not very conspicuous celebration of the centenary of the birth of Sir Henry Cam pbell- Bannerman is to take place in Glasgow on Monday. I hope the date will not be quite forgotten elsewhere, for C. B. was a great figure in British politics in the first decade of this century. He led a great party to an unpre- cedented victory ; one phrase he coined almost on the spur of the moment, La Douma est morte ; vive la Douma, has been written into history ; another- " methods of barbarism "—was said by General Botha to have made possible the Peace' of Vereeniging and opened the way to the grant of self-government to South Africa by C. B. himself. There is matter here for at least a moment's thought. * * I read with great satisfaction the observations of Sir Percy Bates, the Chairman of the Cunard-White Star. Company on the silver cup—more vulgarly, pot—which Mr. H. K. Hales, M.P., saw fit to offer some time ago to the vessel holding the Atlantic record for the moment. It is actually today in possession of the Normandie,' but I will risk the dogmatic assertion that not one French- man in 100,000 knows who Mr. Hales, M.P., is, or what, his title to associate himself with Atlantic • records. The proportion of Englishmen possessed of that knowledge is, I imagine, not much higher. If there is to be a challenge- cup at all in connexion with the Atlantic record—and there is no conceivable reason why there should be—it should obviously be provided by some important appro- priate body like the Atlantic Shipping Conference, or a personality like the President of the United States, certainly not by any casual philanthropist. Sir Percy Bates' remarks seem to suggest that the Cunard-White Star Company will, if the occasion arises, decline the Hales pot with thanks—even though it bears a medallion portrait of Mr. Hales. The shareholders would not rise in revolt.
Disquieting news comes to me from Dublin about the state of Mr. de Valera's health. Earlier in the year he underwent an operation on his eyes at the hands of a Zurich specialist, which was reported at the time to have been successful. But apparently the trouble has recurred and there is at the present moment grave fear that in the course of the next year or so he may suffer the partial, if not the complete, loss of his eyesight. Even the President of the Council's most implacable political opponents would agree that it would be a tragedy if he were compelled to retire from political life for this reason, as he very probably would be,--the office of President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State not being one easily sustained under such disabilities. At the same time, if he chose not to resign he could probably remain in office for the rest of his natural life, as the concept of a blind leader would possess a symbolical attraction which the Irish electorate would be quite unable to resist.
* * * No one who has motored in or round Oxford will be surprised to learn that more pedal-cycles cross Magdalen Bridge per hour—or, per minute, for there are 20 a minute for 16 hours a day—than any other similar bit of road in the kingdom, but it is of some interest to have the figures definitely established by the Ministry of Transport Traffic Census, whose results were pub- lished on Wednesday. (I should imagine, by the way that the Pont de Mont Blanc at Geneva must run Magdalen Bridge close.) With an increase of 95 per cent, of pedal-cycles . on the roads since 1931 the case for special cycle-tracks becomes unanswerable.
* Justice and the Speeders " It is not for me to criticise these precious justices, but it seems to me a scandalous thing to fine a working fellow 40s. for his first offence." The Old Street Magis- trate. (The Times, August 27th.) " I shall fine offenders £10 or £20 the first time, and if necessary £50 on a second conviction." The North London Magistrate. (Same paper, same day, same column.) JANT.34* ,
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