POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 111, 27 May 1937, Page 4

POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS.

Not altogether detacbed from tbe question of an Anglo-American trade agreement is tbe question of Britisb rearmament. It will bava been noticed tbat America is looking on witb all complaceucy wbile Great Britain girds berself anew to meet all possible eventuahties. On tbe otber band, Great Britain seems to be in no way put out because America is in tbis respect, and especially as to tbe Navy, keeping upsides witb ber. Sucb an attitude could scarcely have been boped for bad tbeir regard towards one anotber not considerably altered. In tbe present rearmament movemeuts on both sides of tbe Atlantic we may %%t first see only a continuajjce, as between Britain and tbe United States, of tbe arrangement embodied in tbe Washington Naval Agreement, now at an end because of Japan's defection from it. Tbere is, however, perhaps a good deal more to be deduced than tbis. Tbe f 3£t prohably is tbat each is quite satisfied tjiat tbe other is arming for tbe preservation of peace rather than for tbe promotion of war. Most eertain it is tbat neitber country has any thought in mind beyond being able to protect ber own interests and, in Britain's oase, . to f ulfil League and otber treaty obligations, all primarily directed to tbe maintenance of peace. America, of course, has stood and will continue to stand aloof from any sucb dlrect "entanglemonts," But it is not difficult to conceive of conditions arising out of a trade agreement witb Great Birtain which would call upon her to defend her right to carry on tbat trade witb complete freedoin fronj disturbance by any otbey Power. Already both Signor Mussoliui and Herr Hitley have very greatly toned down tbeir bellicose balk in the fac@ of British rearmament. It would probably be furtber modified, particularly" by Signor Mussolini, wgre there some prospect, even remote, of finding Britain and America stauding side by side in defence of freedom for the world'? trade,