Evening star., 1924-11-09

here now say openly they will imme-
diately demana from the new govern
ment that the imperial preference
pledges made at the imperial confer
ence be carried out at once.
Back Singapore Base.
This will almost certainly be done
IL the Tories have a majority over
both other parties, but if some sort
of coalition with a group of Liberals
must be arranged to keep the new
government in office it is unlikely
those Liberals would consent to sup
port any preference schemes and La
Der now as before would oppose them.
The Tory party stands committed
to the construction of a great naval
Sc at Singapore. This plan was
scotched by Labor with the support
of most, but not all, of the Liberals.
one of the first acts of Tory ad-
mlnistration would be the revival of
the Singapore scheme; but here again,
II the Liberals hold the balance of
power in the new Parliament, it may
pc impossible to get Singapore
through the house The obvious en-
france and Japan and the protests
of the dominions against the Japanese
immigration amendments in the
League OF Nations peace protocol may
powerfully influence Parliament in
favor of the Singapore base.
During the confusion of the cleo
uons little has been said about the
league protocol Indeed, no serious
attempt has been made to create an
issue out of any foreign question ex-
cepting Russia. MacDonald's successor
In the foreign office will certainly
nave his hands full with Russia
mere VIII be no treaty, no trading
agreements, and instead the old
grievances against bolshevist propa-
sanda in Afghanistan and Central
ASIA as threatening India will be re-
vlVed and the attempts to foment
revolution in Britain more sternly
dealt with
The league protocol before long will
become an important issue. There is
much feeling among professional dip
lomats against the concessions made
by Lord Parmoor in this document.
Inc scare the British navy is to be
handed over to the league council
VIII be made use of by the protocols
opponents. Partly to discredit Labors
position expressed in Canada and
Australia. partly because of japanese
intervention at Geneva, partly be-
cause of the navy scare, 1t is likely
the new government will refuse to
ratify the protocol.
Alarm Over Breach.
There is only one consideration in
Its favor. That is the alarm felt here
because of the breach which this
election has made in the old tradi-
ton that international engagements
ABROAD taken by any British govern
ment are always ratified without dis
cusSlon and are not made issues of
domestic controversy. This has not
been true with the Russian treaty.
And If the league protocol is also
turned down by Parliament, l have
heard 1t argued by Tories who oppose
the protocol Britain will be placed in
the unhappy position now occupied
oy the American Department of State
NO British government will be able
10 make treaties or commit the nation
to anything without running the risk
that popular and parliamentary opin-
ION at. home may disnwn what has
neeh d"ne. The Tories have felt
themselves compelled to attack the
ltusslan treaty; il is just conceiva-
ble they might ratify the Geneva
protocol despite their disapprovaI in
order to emphasize the fact their re-
pudlation of Russia was an isolated
phenomenon not to be taken as a
precedent.
The breakdown of British policy in
Arabia, signalized when the anti
British Sultan Ibn Saud of Neid cap
tured the Holy City of Mecca and de-
stroyed the Kingdom of the Hejaz. is
one OF the problems that whoever
taxes over the foreign Office must
race The victory of these religious
FANATICS from the great Arabian
desert represents a serious blow to
British prestige in tho Near East.
During the war the British at
tempted to establish an Arab Fedora
tlon OF Kings and Sheiks who should
oe under British influence. In part.
this was u war measure against
urkey and. in part, intended for the
future protection of the British con-
troiled states of Palestine and Meso-
potam1a, or Iraq as it is now called
British Favor Hashfm.
The British put their money on the
House of Hashim whose head. under
ufhlsh RUE, enjoyed a large measure
OF autonomy as Grand Sheriff of
Mecca. After years of disturbance.
negotiation and intrigue the former
Hashimite, Grand Sheriff Husein, was
installed as King of the Hejaz, one
OF his sons, the Emir Feisul, as King
of lraq. and another SON, the Emir
Abduilah, \ as King of Trans -Jordania.
These arrangements were made after
the British had failed to hold for
Feisul the Kingdom of Syria. from
which that monarch was elected in
1890 by the French. They seemed to
assure British control Of Arabi and
to protect the boundaries, both Of
Palestine and Mesopotamia.
But King Husein in Mecca tyran-
nized over his subjects, quarreled
with the British and Egyptian gov
crnments and aroused to fury the
Sultan of Nejd, a vast and partly
unexplored region in the center of
Arabia The British for years have
made attempts to keep tbn Saud quiet
and paid him a subsidy to refrain
from attacking his neighbors. Ibn
invested the subsidy in modern rifles
and has now attacked and DESTROYED
his Hashimite enemies. Husein, his
family and harem are in exile
Little as the British like what has
happened. it seems agreed that 1t is
hopeless for this country to interfere