Evening star., 1935-12-20
Member of the Associated Press.
Unsealed Lips.

Soon after the storm broke over the
Anglo-French peace" plan, Prime Min
lister Baldwin said that when his lips
were no longer sealed he would be able
to justify British action in the strange
affair. Yesterday his tale was un-
folded in the House of Commons. Not
within living memory did any respon-
sibIe government leader ever utter a
more remarkable series of statements.
1t will rank as a parliamentary miracle
that at their end Mr.. Baldwin was Sus-
tanned by a majority of 232 in House
staggered by revelations of diplomatic
ineptitude without parallel. The prime
minister's declarations had at least the
virtue of candor. He admitted he had
been guilty of 'an error of judgment"
in approving the deal patched up be-
tween Sir Samuel Hoare and M. Laval.
He afirmed that the proposal is now
dead and that there is no intention OF
resurrecting it. In effect, the prime min
lister abjectly apologized for one of the
most bungling and humiliating episodes
In international annals.
The most amazing feature of Baldwins
confession was the disclosure that his
foreign secretary acted entirely off his
own bat in concluding the arrangement
with the French. During all of Sunday,
December 8, while the scheme was being
Matched in Paris, there was no "liaison"
between Hoare and his government. Next
day the British found themselves face
to face with an accomplished fact Re-
sponsibility for these developments was
placed exclusively on the shoulders of the
hapless Hoare.
Sir Samuel, in a speech delivered as
q private member, for he had ceased
to be foreign secretary, essayed brave
defense of his attempt to bring peace in
Africa as q means of averting war in
Europe. Hoare stuck to the contention
that he feared League sanctions were
leading straight to such catastrophe.
He believed peace should be purchased
on the best basis possible before MuSso-
Iini was goaded into desperate action.
Presumably Sir Samuel made similar
representations to his cabinet colleagues
when British indignation rose to the
boiling point, but it did not prevent his
being thrown to the wolves.
OF more Importance now than post
mortems over the vicissitudes Of the
British and French governments as
consequence Of their joint misadventure
Is the course Of the event that gave rise
to it-1taly's war Of aggression on Ethi-
opia. The League has resumed charge
of the situation. ANY future peace nego-
tiations will be conducted through
Geneva. There is to be no relaxation OF
economic and financial sanctions already
declared, nor, for the present, is it
planned to add the projected embargo
on oil, coal, steel and iron. Apparently
it Is intended to let matters develop in
the theater Of war and on the italian
home front, in the hope that conditions
In both areas will yet persuade II Duce
OF the wisdom of ending hostilities be-
fore Italy in either military or an eco
nomic sense is exhausted Britain serves
notice that If there is to be further
punitive action, it must be truly League
collective effort and not confined, as
hitherto, to measures taken by the
British fleet.
Here things rest, after one of the
sorriest spectacles in diplomatic history
"a nasco from which only MusSolini
can derive q certain satisfaction
though it by no means relieves the
plight into which he has plunged the
italian nation.