"Thieves' Bargain"

Often called the greatest living diplomat is M. Alexis Leger, Secretary-General of the French Foreign Office. Wedded firmly to Paris, he never stirs abroad if he can help it, and overseas territories are to him outlandish pawns, to be played coldly in diplomacy's great game. Last week M. Alexis Leger, much to his distaste, was obliged to quit his beloved Paris for a few days in order to coach Premier Camille Chautemps and Foreign Minister Yvon Delbos at London in the opening hands of a game for breathtakingly high stakes. Green as any card table was the big board at No. 10 Downing Street, and German diplomatic cards were dealt out by Viscount Halifax. Quietly, this lean, cadaverous British statesman laid the secret demands which Adolf Hitler and Herman Wilhelm Goring recently made to him (TIME. Nov. 29) face up before the French last week, in the presence of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, and Sir Robert Vansittart, who is in London the opposite number to Alexis Leger.

"Partners." Leaks disclosed that Halifax reported the Nazis demanding in the way of colonies that Britain and France yield "only" Togoland and the Cameroons--these being nearly worthless African territories--but that Belgium and Portugal should be forced to yield their long held rich Congo and Angola to a chartered company in which they would be "partners" with Germany, which would own the controlling interest. Hitler, in return for the above concessions, would bind Germany never to attempt to repossess the more valuable once-German colonies now held as mandates by the United Kingdom, France, the Dominions, and Japan.*

In laying out such cards, ostensibly only for discussion, the British were by implication asking the French to enter into what David Lloyd George was to call later last week a "thieves' bargain." The diplomatic finesse of M. Leger was meanwhile shown when M. Chautemps and M. Delbos blandly told Mr. Chamberlain, Mr. Eden and Sir Robert in effect that France was willing to go just as far in this matter as Britain--whereupon what had seemed to be British ardor to get action last week on behalf of Germany's scheme rapidly cooled, according to best posted London correspondents.

"Free Hand/' Other cards laid face up by Halifax reputedly exposed Hitler's claim to a "free hand" in Austria and Czechoslovakia, that is, Der Fiihrer claims that Britain and France have no right to do other than stand aside in case Germany sees fit to use such pressure or weapons as would reduce Vienna and Prague to the status of vassals of Berlin. The British last week found the French as adamant against giving Hitler any such "free hand" as they had just proved unexpectedly agreeable to going as far into the "thieves' bargain" over colonies as Britain may be ready to go. These tactics by M. Leger quickly brought the negotiations to an amiable pause, with Mr. Chamberlain, who is somewhat pro-German, apparently feeling that the French had been "quite reasonable," should not be pressed too far.

A quiet dinner at pro-French Mr. Eden's house in Mayfair, and a luncheon with King George and Queen Elizabeth at which Mr. Eden was not present but Mr. Chamberlain was, gave M. Chautemps and M. Delbos further opportunities to make friends. On their departure for Paris, the House of Commons was told by the Prime Minister that "a preliminary examination was made of the colonial question in all its aspects. It was recognized that this question was not one that could be considered in isolation, and moreover would involve a number of other countries."

This clearly indicated that such "other countries" as Belgium and Portugal are in for much diplomatic unpleasantness from now on, but the Prime Minister also spoke in such a way as to hint that Britain and France will try to coax the colonial issue into much the same state of interminable negotiation as Nonintervention in Spain (TIME, Nov. 15 et ante). Off the record, nearly every British or Continental statesman will today admit that so-called Non-intervention has been a sorry process of seeing that Spain's civil war is dragged out as long as possible, thus avoiding a clean cut Rightist or Leftist victory. On the record in the House of Commons last week Mr. Chamberlain said he and M. Chautemps have agreed that "the policy of Non-intervention in Spain has been fully justified!"

"Profound Joy." Premier Chautemps and Foreign Minister Delbos wore the most satisfied smiles imaginable as they arrived in Paris, greeted at the station by cheering Socialist and Radical Socialist adherents. "On every subject we have been able to meet the English!" was beaming Premier Chautemps' way of summing up. "It is with profound joy that I am able to say that on all topics we found ourselves in complete agreement."

Naturally, the treaty allies of France itched to be told all inside details, and Foreign Minister Delbos immediately started last week on a 17-day swing around Eastern Europe to tell them. It was of utmost significance that he does not plan to go to Moscow, although the French Republic has a military pact with the Soviet Union (TIME, May 13, 1935). All during the London negotiations and subsequently last week, London and Paris correspondents kept hearing in the highest quarters the opinion that grave unrest is stirring in Russia; that the Soviet Union's effective strength in warfare has been greatly reduced by these conditions; that Dictator Stalin is now maintaining himself in power only by the most terroristic methods. These points came out not as "news" but as the considered opinions of statesmen.

100,000 Germans. As the sleeping car of Yvon Delbos rolled into Berlin, it was unprecedented and highly significant that German Foreign Minister Baron Constantin von Neurath should be on the platform to greet the French Foreign Minister. Baron von Neurath called out in everyone's hearing an expression of his pleasure that the Paris Exposition this year brought 100,000 German visitors to France, then climbed aboard the train for a conference which smiling M. Delbos said afterward had unfortunately been all too short. Such goings on and such words would have seemed incredible a few months or weeks ago. They showed that France may be slipping into a habit (acquired in London at the International Committee on Non-intervention in Spain) of not only cooperating with Britain but also not quarreling with Germany and Italy.

Colonies for Poland? The itinerary of Yvon Delbos is Warsaw (four days), Bucharest (four days), Belgrade (three days), Prague (three days) and so back to Paris. Last week, the Polish Government greeted him in Warsaw with splendiferous display and a most ingenious demand thought up by Polish Foreign Minister Colonel Josef Beck. He pointed out that Poland is in part composed of former lands of the German Empire, argued that if any former Imperial colonies are restored to Hitler's Germany "it is obvious" that similar colonial territory must be "proportionately restored" to Poland! This brilliant piece of Polish logic gave the French Foreign Minister a fine headache with which to start his tour.

Australian Angle. Dispatches from Australia pictured this spunky Dominion as aroused last week lest the United Kingdom have any sneaking thought of slaking Germany's land hunger by giving the Nazis a slice of New Guinea held under mandate by Australia. To block this the Dominion's famed and fiery Wartime Prime Minister William Morris Hughes, who at the Versailles Peace Conference was among those chiefly instrumental in having Imperial Germany despoiled of her colonies, has now at the age of 73 been made Australian Minister for External Affairs. Cocked & primed this week was oldster Hughes, ready to dash to London and explode with Australian wrath.

Dictator & King. Grimly silent was Portuguese Dictator Salazar this week. Portugal has been supplying Rightist Spain and her German ally, and the Dictator showed every sign of feeling that he can sit tight on the question of Angola. No dictator is King Leopold of the Belgians. Announced his Foreign Minister Spaak: "Should the question arise, Belgium is prepared to defend the colony (Belgian Congo) with all the means within our power. From London we learn that the British viewpoint would never admit an accord detrimental to other countries."

However, the new Belgian Cabinet (see p. 23) and His Majesty were most uneasy--and young King Leopold suddenly and for the third time this year rushed to England (see p. 23).

*Under the Treaty of Versailles the ex-German colonies became Class B and Class C mandates (Class A mandates were Palestine, Iraq and Syria which never belonged to Germany). Class B comprises Ruanda-Urundi, received by Belgium; Tanganyika, received by Britain; and the Cameroons & Togoland, most of which went to France with Britain receiving the rest. As Class C mandates the Union of South Africa received South-West Africa; New Zealand got Samoa; Australia was given New Guinea and the tiny island of Nauru was jointly mandated to the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

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