Evening star., 1935-12-29
BY JOSEPH DRISCOLL.
ONDON.-By a margin Of a
broken nose and an English


broken nose and an English
week end, the British Cabinet
- has let itself in for another
major reshuffle which already is begun
with Capt. Anthony Eden replacing
Sir Samuel Hoare as foreign minister
and should see several more important
changes early in 1896.
The nose belonged to Sir Samuel,
the week end to the rest of the cabi-
net. It will be remembered that Hoare
and Premier Laval adopted their
Abyssinian peace plan in Paris on,
OF all days, Saturday and Sunday.
Now, as England well knows, a proper
weekend holiday extends from Friday
to Monday, or better still, Thursday
cred and inviolate. No business is
tolerated, no telephones answered.
Thus Hoare In Paris arranging the
Abyssinian deal was completely out
of touch with the British Cabinet,
whose members had dispersed to their
country firesid@, moors and downs.
Knowing Downing street was deserted
and respecting the week enders' de-
sire for privacy, Hoare did not bother
to consult the cabineters.
Baldwin Informed at Breakfast.
The first thing Prime Minister Stan
ley Baldwin knew about the deal, as
afterwards admitted in the Commons
debate. was Monday morning at the
breakfast table when he received a
letter from Hoare seeking the cabinets
approval. That note ruined the week
end. Prime Minister Baldwin sum-
moned all week enders back to Down
ing street and the cabinet ratified the
Hoare-Laval plan, which they might
not have done If consulted In advance
by Hoare.
This week end problem reminded
one Of another fateful week end in
August. 1914. when the Germans in
vaded Belgium and the Belgian Min
lister in London could not find any
cabineter or lesser official to whom
to deliver King Albert's appeal for
British help.
The present situation was compli-
Nd0Co "lICA klOcC kOI Ill
the way. From Paris Hoare pro-
ceeded to Switzerland for the holiday
and promptly fractured his nose in an
ice skating mishap. AS murmurs
against the peace plan rose in the
press and Parliament, Baldwin wanted
to summon Hoare back to explain,
but refrained because of the foreign
minister's painful injury. Hoare
itched to get back. but fingered be-
cause Of understandable vanity. Hoare
has largish nose, which did not look
well plastered with bandage. Then,
too. the injury had caused a sore
throat and a temporary loss of voice.
Returns Too Late.
When Hoare finally returned. after
o weeks delay, it was too late to
stop the criticism of the Hoare-Laval
plan going unanswered. Murmurs had
increased to a roar, with the younger
tories threatening revolt and with the
governments own press supporters
joining in a denunciation of the
seeming betrayal of the League and
Abyssinia.
Hoare faced the alternative of re-
canting or resigning. He resigned.
It was Baldwin who recanted.
Hoare's speech In the Commons
after his resignation, defending the
peace plan as necessary to prevent
q European war was a notable effort
by comparison with BaldW4n's mud
died apologies. AS the Morning Post
summed 1t up, the man who emerged
best from the debate was "the man
whom everybody had agreed to regard
rs the culprit."
Had it not been for the English
week end the British cabinet might
never have accepted the plan, only to
reject 1t when forced by public opin-
ion. Had it not been for the broken
nose, Hoare might have saved the
plan by making the defense a week
earlier, before Baldwin got cold feet.
Today Hoare is back skating in