Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, JULY 18, 1938. MR EDEN AS PREMIER.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 July 1938, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, JULY 18, 1938. MR EDEN AS PREMIER.

ACCORDING to a cablegram published on Saturday, a

disclosure that Earl Baldwin favours Mr Anthony Eden as successor to Mr Neville Chamberlain when the latter retires “is completely confirmed in London.” What this allegedly complete confirmation is really worth is, at time of writing, rather uncertain. From the cablegram mentioned, it appears that the whole story is based on something published in the American journal “Foreign 1 Affairs” and no attempt appears to have been made to name a date on which Mr Chamberlain is likely to retire from the Prime Ministership.

Speculative as the “confirmed” story thus seems to be, it may not lack a certain anticipatory quality. Apart from great questions of policy that are forcing themselves more and more urgently on attention, the duration of Mr Chamberlain’s further career in office may be determined in some degree by the state of his health. He Is said to suffer from-.persistent attacks of gout. It is by no meajns impossible, however, that the position may be brought to a head in the comparatively near future over issues, of foreign policy.

On the occasion of the Cabinet split in February last, when Mr Eden retired from the office of Foreign Secretary, it was shown that he'was acutely at odds with, the Prime •Minister on the question of concessions to the European dictatorships, and particularly to Italy. Mr Chamberlain airid Mr Eden were of* one mind in seeking peace and reconciliation iri Europe, but differed sharply as to methods. Mr Eden made it clear that he regarded agreements with the dictatorships as of little value unless the latter gave tangible proof of good faith in peaceful aims.

Those who champion Mr Chamberlain andi the policy for which he stands have classed him as a practical realist ’ and Mr Eden as an impracticable, idealist. At the, moment of crisis, in February last, Mr Chamberlain’s position was ' strengthened not a little by his announeemenrt, in the ■ House of Commons, that Italy had accepted the British plan for the withdrawal of “volunteers” from Spain. That was five months ago, however, and the withdrawal of “.volunteers” from Spain is still at the stage of talk. Within, the last week or so, hopes have again been raised of the institution of a plan of withdrawal -from Spain, but the general position and outlook in that country x lend a good deal of colour to the following blunt comment lately made by an American writer:--Downing Street is so anxious to reconcile all differences with Italy as to tacitly accept Mussolini’s stalling until he is assured of a Nationalist victory in Spain. At the same time, Germany, in her seizure of Austria, in the truculent attitude she is taking up towards Czechoslovakia, and in other ways, gives little enough indication that she is inclined to modify in any way the policy which makes her increasingly a menace to Britain and other democracies. Whatever Mr Chamberlain’s prospects of continuing in office may be, it is certainly not becoming easier to accept the contention of his, supporters that he is to be depended upon for a safe, practical and constructive handling of foreign affairs. THE SHOW DATES MUDDLE. of the members of the Wairarapa P. and A. Society who discussed, at their meeting on Saturday, the treatment their organisation, has received at the hands-of the Royal Agricultural Society, did so in studiously . moderate terms, making due allowance for the limitations under which the Royal Society operates and for the difficulties by which it is faced. It- is on that account established so much the more clearly that the Wairarapa society has been treated badly in the matter of the allocation of the Royal Show to the Waikato A. and P. Association on dates this year which clash with those of the Wairarapa Show. The apparently extraordinary attitude taken up by the president of the Royal Society may be left to be cleared up by Mr Wild himself and those by whom his attitude is challenged. On the facts in sight, however, there appear to be no reasonable grounds on which Mr Wild or anyone else can take exception to the protest made by the Wairarapa society against the Royal Show being held on dates which clash with those of its own fixture. As was fairly pointed out by members of the Wairarapa society on Saturday, it does not rest with the Royal Society to fix show dates. Presumably-, however, the Royal Society does control the allocation of the Royal Show, and it surely might make the allocation of the fixture conditional on an avoidance of date clashing. This seems the more reasonable since the Wairarapa society ’has been holding its shows on the same dates for half a oentury, whereas the Waikato A. and P. Association has o;nly had its present dates for two years. Presumably no hardship need have been entailed in moving the Wailcato dates sufficiently this year to avoid clashing. It is perhaps too late now to have the position adjusted satisfactorily, and the Wairarapa society no doubt is doing the right thing in deciding to hold its Show at the usual time and endeavour to overcome any handicap resulting from the clashing of dates. An understanding with regard to the fixing of show dates in future years is worth seeking, however, if only that no district association may henceforth be treated as unfairly as the Wairarapa P. and A. Society is being treated this year. It is plainly in the interests of all concerned that a clashing of dates as between the Royal Show and district shows should be avoided.