The Editor’s Saturday Night

Northern Advocate, 13 May 1939, Page 6

The Editor’s Saturday Night

The international kettle has .'boiled less violently during the past week. Diplomatists have again been’, busy, and important negotiations'*'' undertaken, but dramatic announcements such as marked preceding weeks have not been made. Colonel Beck’s statement of Poland’s attitude towards Germany is generally regarded as a masterpiece ?of conciliation allied with determinNation not to give way to any claims I Poland may regard as unjust or uni reasonable. Colonel Beck emphasised | that, Poland is ready and willing to t discuss with Germany matters upon I which the two nations may be at | variance, but he also' made it perfectly clear that under hb 'Circumi stances would Poland be subject to t coercion or dictation.

It is of more th'an passing interest to note that Mr Chamberlain, speaking in the House of Commons, and replying to a question, reiterated that if Poland were subjected to attack, Britain and France would at once go to her assistance* He h likewise declared that only one thing cohid contribute to the waging; 6f war "hi Europe, and that was to create the impression that Britain and France are not solidly allied. His reference to the action these countries would takt in the protection of Poland must therefore be regarded as particularly eloquent. At the same; time, Mr Chamberlain, and other leaders of political thought in Britain have declared that any opening for the peace- : ful discussion of European problems would be eagerly availed of. Though both Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini have used rather bellicose language during the week, there is little doubt that they, too, would welcome an opportunity to confer rather than fight.

Russia’s position in the event of a war in which the democracies were engaged against dictators is still undisclosed, but Soviet spokesmen have left no room for doubt that Russia’s weight would be used on the side of the democracies. It is rather interesting to note that, in order to allow the Soviet’s delegate to attend, the session of the League of Nations set down for this week has been postponed until May 22, Evidently Russia is still regarded as an important factor in proceedings at , Geneva. Early in the week it was announced that the Pope intended to call a conference to discuss European : peace, but this report has since been denied, though flis Holiness has. evidenced unmistakably his desire that the nations should settle their differences at the conference table rather than on the battlefield.

An outstanding event has been the departure from England of ' Their Majesties King George arid Queen Elizabeth on their historic visit to' Canada and the United States.' This visit is creating worldwide attention, and reports from the United States indicate the importance which leaders of public thought are attachirig to the visit.' An announcement which was doubtless read with keen interest by New Zealanders and Australians was that made by a London paper, which stated that British battleships had been

earmarked for service in the Pacific in the case of ah emergency. This is interpreted as an outcome of the recently held Pacific Defence Conference, though official confirmation of this belief is not forthcoming, ,