Galvanising a Conference.

Of the Lausanne Conference itself, just opened, it is premature to speak. But obviously it has opened in a much bolder spirit than seemed to be likely even a week ago. The British Prime Minister, with renewed dynamic force, seems to be determined to get something done with regard to disarmament as well as debts, and the Italian Duce has sent him an inspiring telegram. Lausanne is the debts centre (where the Americans will not come) and Geneva is the disarmament centre; Mr. Ramsay MacDonald in mid-June was busy in both and it was reported that, in a trans-Atlantic telephone message to his missioner at Geneva, President Hoover stipulated disarmament as a preliminary to American discussion of debts. If Mr. MacDonald's spade-work succeeds America may participate later in a big stabilisation conference. But the Ottawa Imperial Conference will precede that. With British Empire preference in the air, the lower tariff movement in Belgium, Holland, Denmark and Scandinavia, also Argentina's attitude, are significant.