MR. EDEN'S FUTURE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23017, 20 April 1938, Page 15

MR. EDEN'S FUTURE

Sir, —Your interesting London cable under the above heading, appearing in your issue of April 19, suggests that Mr. Eden might head a campaign for awakening Britain to the need for unity in defence. The resignation of Mr. Eden and of the Under-Secretary tor Foreign Affairs, on the question of the sanctity of international treaties, agreements, pacts, and promises, made Mr. Eden the most popular politician in Britain. Britain was getting wearied of. the "hypocritical neutrality" policy of the Government in regard to Abys-sinia.-Spain and Austria, and was beginning to realise that British neutrality" was in fact support of Fascism and aggression. The recent debates in the House of Commons on defence, particularly that of February 9 on "Storage of food in time of war" and that of March 7 on "Defence" have made Britons extremely uneasy. When such prominent men as Mr. Winston Churchill. Sir Archibald Sinclair, Mr. Lees Smith, Captain Balfour. Sir A. Salter, Lord Winterton, Colonel Wedgwood, and maiden speakers like Mr. Stokes, unite in expressing from every part of the House their grave uneasiness regarding both Britain's foreign policy and defence programme, even the phlegmatic British public is aroused. Mr. Eden is a man of quite exceptional qualities; he has youth, ability, eloquence, good looks and charm. He is also gay and debonair. No other man prominent in public life has all these gifts. And on top of this he has proved his honesty and strength of character by resigning his high office on a matter of principle, and because he thinks that principle conies before expediency. That Mr. Eden will be "the next British Prime Minister" is the hope of many thousands of Britishers of every shade of political opinion who put country before party and honour before expediency. H. Wansey Bayly.