“Taranaki Central Press” SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1937. MR. EDEN’S POST AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 359, 13 February 1937, Page 4

“Taranaki Central Press” SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1937. MR. EDEN’S POST AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE.

Political circles in Britain aie credited with the belief that the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Eden, has ceased to carry the weight he once did in Cabinet, and may be transferred to another department because of his continued belief in collective action. And Sir Samuel Hoare is mentioned as hi; successor.

This is a little hard on Mr. Eden, and hard, too, upon collective security, in so far as it has. been interpreted by him. It is true that the wave of indignation which drove .Sir Samuel Hoare out of office because of the betrayal of the League policy by the Hoarc-I.aval proposals for a settlement in Abyssinia was a definite declaration in favour of collective security. But Mr E-den has not attempted to run ahead of his Government, and it would be nearer the truth to say that if he is found wanting in his relations with the German Ambassador or anybody else, and above all with the British public, it is just another evidence of Government incompetence at this critical period.

In China Britain is described to-day as “the tiger that has lost its teeth.” The Baldwin policy of rearmament may be described as ,an attempt to give the tiger a new set. Mr. Baldwin seems to stand upon the Gladstbnian theory that England is not so “uplifted in strength above every other nation that she can with prudence advertise herself as ready to undertake the general redress of wrongs.”

He declared last April that collective security would never work unless all the nations taking part in it were prepared simultaneously to threaten an aggressor with sanctions and, if necessary, to fight. Nor was it possible, he added, to allocate between the various nations in the League how much or how little they were to contribute to collective security.

In fairness to Mr. Baldwin it may be said that he has not weakened on the principle of collective security, but he has been timid in voicing the opinion of the Empire in respect both of Abyssinia and Spain, and there is no evidence that Mr. Eden has tried to force him into another course.

Mr. Eden has never made any serious public pronouncement on Britain s new policy of rearm-ament. .But it is reasonable enough to assume that he supports some increase, for a weaklyarmed Britain could never help even a policy of collective security. Sir Samuel Hoare is a believer in giving the tiger a new set of teeth and is thoroughly behind the present policy.

/Fortunately, after almost years of vacillation, there is real purpose behind Britain’s armament programme of to-day. She is determined to show the world her strength with the view that a great empire that is weak in defence is a menace to stability and a temptation to aggressors. Thereis no justification for any belief that Mr. Eden could not wield "the big stick” as well as anyone else in the Cabinet, and it is to be hoped that he will remain at the Foreign Office even with the changed foreign policy of the Government.