Parliament's Week: The Commons:

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Coolly Prime Minister Baldwin replied: "I am going to lose no chance for this country to get peace instead of war." ¶ Heard without enthusiasm the main Government speech of the week from Foreign Secretary Sir Samuel Hoare who was just about to leave England to "get peace" in France (see p. 20). Since it is from Benito Mussolini that peace has to be got, Sir Samuel buttered the Dictator and Italy in a manner which struck anti-Fascist Labor M.P.'s as rancid. "We have no wish to humiliate Italy nor to weaken Italy," cried Britain's Secretary. "Indeed, we are most anxious to see a strong Italy in the world. ... I appeal once more to Signor Mussolini and his fellow countrymen. . . . Let them dismiss from their minds the suspicion that we wish to weaken Signor Mussolini's position and destroy the Fascist regime. . . . There is not a nation taking part in the collective action of the League that would not be delighted to see friendly relations between themselves and Italy restored and sanctions ended!" Sir Samuel then returned to his old saw that peace must be made on terms "acceptable to the three parties to the dispute, Italy, the League and Ethiopia."

Boiling with antiFascism, Laborites jeered: "Terms acceptable to the burglar, the police and the householder!"

"Perhaps we are engaged in a hopeless task," smiled the Foreign Secretary affably. "Perhaps it is impossible to reconcile the divergent aims of the League, Italy and Ethiopia."

The speech closed with a great buttering of Japan as Sir Samuel alluded to the current reduction of North China to the status of a Japanese puppet (see p. 22) in these terms: "I can only regard as unfortunate that events should have taken place which, whatever the actual truth of the matter may be, lend color to the belief that Japanese influence is being exerted to shape Chinese internal political developments and administrative arrangements. Anything which tends to create this belief can only do harm to the prestige of Japan and hamper the development, which we all desire, of the friendliest mutual relations between Japan and her neighbors and friends."

¶ In vain Labor M.P.'s stormed that the Ethiopian policy of His Majesty's Government is oleaginous to the point that, while arousing the League to impose sanctions, it is largely supplying Italy with oil through the petroleum companies it controls or owns. The Lords: ¶ Spent last week the first $5,000 of an estimated $50,000 which they will spend on the trial of Lord de Clifford commencing this week. Costs must be paid by the County of Surrey because in that unfortunate vicinity hell-raising Edward Southwell Russell, 28, the 26th Baron de Clifford, a descendant of one of William the Conqueror's knights, was driving his supercharged sports car when it collided with the cheap four-seater of one Douglas George Hopkins who was killed.

A young woman riding with Hopkins screamed at Lord de Clifford: "For God's sake, why were you driving on our side of the road?"

"My good woman." rejoined the Noble Lord, "this is not the place to inquire."