Pruning of Navies.

In any survey of world events for January, first place must of course be given to the world-conference that met in London to try to reduce naval armaments. As publicists like Hilaire Belloc have declared that the Anglo-American preliminary conversations mean an Anglo-American understanding by which Britain accepts naval dependence on the United States, and in return is promised the suppression of submarines (carrying with it restoration of Britain's mastery of the Mediterranean), it is easy to gauge the impression caused by a published statement that the conference had decided not to discuss submarine-abolition. But the statement was promptly denied by the British official spokesman, and at present there is a general outcry against publishers of canards. Whether the conference will produce results cannot at the moment be foreseen. One eloquent incident, following the assertion of British insularity, is Signor Grandi's discovery that Italy is “almost an island.” Prime Minister MacDonald emphasises the dispersion of the British fleets in many seas. He did not mention that in 1904–14 the German threat called them home. The aim now is to see that such a North Sea concentration is never again necessary.