Baldwin Speaks

COMMONWEALTH (British Commonwealth of Nations)

At the annual convention of the British Conservative Party at Brighton, Premier Baldwin spoke in support of the policies of his Government. He was full of calming assurances that Britain is not so badly off as alarmists declare.

A striking feature was Mr. Baldwin's assertion that "Great Britain means to stay in Mosul and Iraq . . . and will cooperate with the Iraq Government to insure the stability and progress of that country until such time as our help is no longer needed."

He denied that a Turko-British crisis is impending, declaring that Britain is still willing to arbitrate the question of whether Iraq or Turkey shall eventually possess Mosul, indicated that he believes the League of Nations and the Hague Court will be able to induce Turkey to fulfill the obligation which Englishmen consider she assumed at Brussels last October.

Commenting upon European affairs he declared for "regional compacts" and the entrance of Germany into the League as a force for World Peace.

Next he touched upon domestic affairs, admitted that he had instituted the much criticized coal subsidy with reluctance, but defended it as better than the alternative of subjecting England to "a crippling industrial struggle." He replied as follows to those Conservatives who urged that the British Government crush British Communism by Fascist tactics: "I've been told that this country wants a Mussolini. I have great respect for the chief minister of a great country like Italy, but I know the temperament of my own people. The English people will never tolerate a dictator. The English people will never tolerate being Prussianized, nor, may I add, Russianized."

He gave assurances, however, that "any attempt to seduce the loyalty of the nation's armed forces" would be strongly dealt with.

Other speechifying before the convention was of little significance. The reaction to Mr. Baldwin's speech in the Press seemed to be that it had been rather disappointingly free from any new or sensational proclamations. Said the London Times of Mr. Baldwin: "Not a good stage manager." It added that in a modern democracy, a certain amount of "publicity," even if it is of a "modest" sort, is absolutely necessary. Said The Observer: "He spoke in the reassuring vein of a cultivated Micawber." There was a general feeling, however, that the convention had endorsed most of the Conservative leader's views by rising and cheering him loudly as he declared: "When the party wants to change its leader, I'll step down, but not till then!"