State-of-the-World

Last week Neville Chamberlain returned from his Scottish salmon-fishing trip. The fishing had been poor but London toy-shops sprouted timely little booted Neville Chamberlain dolls holding a rod & reel in one hand, a little sign saying PEACE MAKER in the other.

The London affiliate of the Gallup poll found opinion in the British Isles 57% "satisfied" with the Chamberlain foreign policy. Simultaneously U. S. citizens were Galluped in the same direction, favored the Prime Minister by 59%, although only 30% thought the Chamberlain "peace" permanent.

Digesting these signs and portents, the Prime Minister convened his Cabinet-- with two vacancies--and began to chart the Speech from the Throne to be delivered November 8. This is the annual state-of-the-nation speech of His Majesty's Government, and since His Majesty's Government have vital interests in every part of the world, it behooved Mr. Chamberlain to look about him far & wide.

From Berlin arrived Ambassador Sir Nevile Henderson, who sat for Britain on the Commission of Ambassadors which settled the final territorial details of the Munich peace. About the best he could say was that whereas at Godesberg the Fuehrer demanded 12,000 square miles of Czechoslovak territory, Germany has now received a grand total of only 10,885 square miles. More heartening was word that Germany would like to cut in with Britain on the forthcoming U. S.-British trade agreement. Germany would take what U. S. and Dominions raw materials Britain could not absorb, pay the British for it with German machinery, chemicals, optical goods.

From Paris came Ambassador Sir Eric Phipps to report on significant developments in France. Ever since France embarked upon a "New Deal" policy under Leon Blum (TIME, June 15, 1936 et seq.), the Conservative British Cabinet have assisted French moderates like Premier Edouard Daladier in their efforts to bring France back from the Left to the Centre.

When the French Chamber, directly after M. Daladier returned from Munich, voted him decree powers running until November 15, this reversal began in earnest and by last week there was plenty for Sir Eric to report.

Premier Daladier has lengthened French working hours by scrapping the 40-Hour-Week Law in "industries vital to national safety." He has broken with the Communist Party, formerly a pillar of the French Popular Front coalition, to the delight of Berlin. And Premier Daladier has recognized the Italian conquest in Ethiopia by appointing Andre Frangois-Poncet to Rome as the first French Ambassador ever accredited to "Emperor Vittorio Emanuele." All this meant that France had been scared into swerving Right.

Britain, too, was busy courting the dictator powers, to the approval of U. S. Ambassador Kennedy. It was significant that King George & Queen Elizabeth lunched the Italian Crown Princess at Buckingham Palace last week--something which would have been unthinkable before the Big Four got together at Munich.

This week Britain's attention shifted to far-off China where Japanese bombers attacked the tiny British river gunboat.

Sandpiper, patrolling near Changsha on the Siang River, 200 miles southwest of Hankow. There were no casualties. In London officials called the attack "deliberate" and Britain made strong representations at the Japanese Embassy.

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