The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-01-10
Bx n. L. PERCY

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 London (UP)-Britain in 1884
 was . backwater whose calm was
 rippled only by the whirlpool of
 events in Europe and elsewhere.
 On the continent kings and
 leading statesmen died, violently
 or peacefully; governments tot-
 through the streets of most coun-
 tries.
 They had little or no effect on
 Britain. Sport and social season
 dominated the interest of the man
 in the street here during the last
 twelve months.
 In fact the highlights of the
 year might be listed in the follow
 ing precedence: the unusually
 crowded sports season the most
 brilliant social season since the
 war, capped by the wedding of the
 Duke of Kent and Princess Marina
 of Greece. .the new traffic reg.
 ulations. the betting restrictions
 law. .the restoration of wage
 cuts. the war scare and its sup-
 plement, the demand for more
 planes. the Indian self-govern-
 ment bill. the tripartite naval
 conversations.
 And over all there was q feeling of we1l-being, of satisfaction that things were on the upgrade; that the depression period was well past.
 There was small interest in the international field. The public were apathetic towards the disarmament conference at Geneva, tending to the opinion that there is little likelihood of 1t ever achieving any. thing.
 Disarmament Stymied Early in the year the British government launched a new dis.
 armament plan granting Germany equality, and proposing a ten-ycar plan of progressive armament, and the supervision of all arms. The interested countries were sounded
 out. and, although officially, 1t was held that the results were good, the usual Franco-G German dis- agreement once again put 1t into abeyanee.
 The end of the year came with some new hope of getting some- thing done as France and Ger many had shown signs of closer cooperation on the matter of the Saar.
 Britain throughout the year re- iterated her determination to enter no more commitments on the con. tinent, 6 policy which was univer- sally welcomed here. It was only relaxed when she offered to con- tribute to the international police force to patrol the Saar during the plebiscite next January. There was an intense campaign by the popular press for strong CT air force and defense against aerial attack. It had its effect in a. government announcement that the Royal Air Force would be in- creased by forty-one squadrons to seventy-one. Many believed that it was insufficient and demanded
 Britain regain the position of lead- ing air power, which she held just after the war.
 stanley Baldwin, possibly with an election axe to grind, more than once put himself on record as ad- yocating larger fighting forces. In JEly he made his famous speech, declaring that Britain's frontier
 we1 no longer the white cliffs of Dover, but the Rhine. In Noven- Der he declared, we shall not be caught unprepared.
 There were two economic squab- bles-with France over the ques- ton of quotas, which developed into minor tariff war, and with Germany over the payment of in- terest on loans. Both were amica- bly, settled.
 Default without Worry On June IS Britain defaulted on %tra AvHa a tx1M vak NH the Anh r., the United States. There was
 scarcely any repercussion here, either for or against this move, although 1t was felt that 1t might speed up negotiations for a defi- nite settlement. Such negotiations were still in the misty future at the end of the year.
 An Anglo-Soviet commercial treaty was signed in February, granting each other most-favored- nation treatment.
 About this time, too, the Anglo Japapese trade disagreement
 reached Q crisis. Eventually con- ference between trade representa- lives of the two countries was held. It broke down, however, and in May Britain declared "war" by imposing quotas on Japanese cot- ton and rayon, and duties on silk and other Japanese goods. These are still in force.
 Domestic politics were quiet to a degree of dullness. Early in the spring authoritative quarters de- clared the national government had . program of work which would take 1t to the spring of 1936, when general elections might be expected to be held. This program covered a number of domestic bills and culminates in thep assage of the India con- stitutional bill which is expected to occupy most of 1885. The bili is based on the report of the joint parliamentary committee, which,
 issued in November, advocated a certain measure of self-govern- fairly large section of the conserv. ative party opposes the report, and it Is anticipated that the gov ernment will have some difficulty in getting the bill passed. Labor Wins Election Probably the outstanding events were the sweeping labor gains at the London County Council and municipal elections. The L.C.C. elections in March gave the me- tropolis labor government for the first time for many years. The municipal elections in November gave labor working majorities in most of the towns in Scotland England and Wales.
 Their significance is the fact that these elections usually indi- cate the trend at the next general election. Die-hard Conserva tives
 confessed themselves "worried."
 FYascism became practically 6 dead number during the year. Re.
 peated brawls in which Fascists
 were concerned did not help Sir
 Oswald Mosley's movement. The
 giant demonstration in Hyde Park
 in the summer was hzzle. A rival
 labor demonstration drowned il
 out. Mosley lost the very worth.
 while support of Lord Rother.
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