Evening star., 1924-02-28
BY FRANK II. SIMONDS.


LONDON. February 2s.-"In the
grand game of golf to press is to
foozle. And even in International af-
fairs man may well bear In mind the
golf adage, slow back. follow
through"
In these words the British primo
minister, Mr. Ramsay Macdonald. out
lined to me the spirit and point of
view with which he approached for
eign affairs at the present critical
moment in European affairs.
when you are going 10 drive you
do not press. you do not try to get
ahead, to be tricky or to be finlcky.
You do not think too much. You step
up. make a long, clean. perfect cir
Gle. the ball goes straight Off down
the fairway toward the green"
Now that is my conception OF
foreign policy. The old method was
always tricky. flnicky. II always
pressed. 1t always topped and sliced
No. 1 will not say always. but usual
We have been saying that IL you
look out for the pence. the pounds
will look out for themselves. Wen.
perhaps. ! am not so sure. but l am
pounds. the pence will take care or
themselves.
Must Have Confidence.
Until there is a state of mind IN
| Europe in which doubt and suspicion
are absent, ii is perfectly useless to
ATTEMPT to discuss details: then dis
cussiou becomes a battle for points.
Until there is an atmosphere OF mutual
|, confidence, there IS no use III even
opening the matter of details.
Now, ! do believe there is a new
| feeling Of optimism in this country, IN
| Europe, as to the prospect OF Euro
pean settlement. and ] do share II.
IL YOU had been here, say, In Novem-
| ber, you would realize now what
the differences disclosed in the new
state Of mind between Britain and
France. Then we did not have the
right state of mind. could not discuss
details. Now, We can accomplish
"Again I remind you. don't forget
your golf, 1t will teach you many
| things Remember, In golf not only
you do not press. but also you have
patience: yes patience is very much
in golf. in international affairs also
What about your plans for making
! wider use of the league Of nations
| than hitherto?" 1 asked.
Use OF League
We'll, I do not care to say much
| ten my views there. That Is a sub
| ject which, If you talk about It
! loosely, your views get spread abroad
| inexacuy. l think I had better refer
| you to what I have written on that
subject.
Il will say. however. that the
| league Is there. that We must, we
! shalt make much more use OF 1t than
| what about labor and Russia?"
asked. I'm America there is not
little tendency to see a connection
between British labor and Moscow"
| II know know" he - replied: piled Wit, with
is said In America and elsewhere
about the relation OF our party to
Moscow, but 1t is all so absurd. so
| absurd. the whole idea that there Is
cow. No one has fought Moscow as
bitterly as British labor. Why, in
fact. it was British labor which final
| ly broke Moscow. We did that at
J the Berlin conference, where efforts
were made to unite the second and
third internationale, and was put up
to make the fight.
No Longer a Danger.
I'VE fought Moscow. We have beat
en- Moscow. we are not afraid OF 1t.
| Moscow has little or no following In
tempts something in the way of prop
aganda: 1t may give us a little trou-
BILE. but not much. 1t Is no longer a
danger in this country.
] II do not say that it never can be
! a peril again. Yes, 1t was a danger
once. when it was young and strong.
when Europe was in tumult But 1t 10
only a danger now in those parts of
Europe where the devastation of war
| remains. This country is not afraid
I'VE know II, we have faced Ii, beat
en- II.
| "As for the British labor party, the
| British socialist party, it has always
| been national. In point OF fact. we