GREAT BRITAIN: Parliament’s Week: Dec. 10, 1934

The Lords and Commons:

¶Joined the nation in a chorus of cluck-clucking amazement when it was discovered that the Rt. Hon. James Henry Thomas, onetime engine greaser, now Secretary of State for the Dominions, had signed above King George and Queen Mary on the bridal register of the Duke and Duchess of Kent.

How a harmless social climber like genial Jimmy Thomas could ever have done such a thing was distinctly puzzling. He was not even present when members of the Royal Family signed the register at Westminster Abbey. Cabinet ministers like himself signed later at Buckingham Palace. Moreover, if he had managed to sign first, would either King George or Queen Mary have been likely to sign below James Henry Thomas?

Faced with this minor mystery, sympathetic friends concluded that ”Jimmy” must have been elated that afternoon to the point of turning back the register and inserting himself ahead of the King-Emperor.

The Commons:

¶Pursued their debate on the Speech from the Throne (TIME, Dec. 3) to the point of extreme provocation to the German Government. In effect His Majesty’s Government branded Adolf Hitler as a violator of the Treaty of Versailles, accused Nazidom of preparing to devastate England by air raids, and threatened energetic counter measures in the event that Germany does not return to the League of Nations and behave herself.

To hatch all this out of the innocuous King’s Speech, the technical maneuver was employed of having that cherub-faced Tory fire-eater Mr. Winston (”Winnie”) Churchill propose an amendment in language which in fact was a polemic. Clarioned “Winnie” Churchill: “The great new fact that is riveting the attention of every country in Europe and the world is that Germany is rearming!” He estimated that within a year the military air force of the Fatherland—which is forbidden to have any such air force by the Treaty of Versailles—would equal Britain’s. ”Ten days of intensive bombing of London would kill or maim 30,000 or 40,000 people, and in a short time 3,000,000 or 4.,00,000 would be driven into the country. . . . Under the German Government organization all that is needed is the decision of a handful of men to launch an attack without notice. It is a danger to all Europe that we are in such a position!” This looked like the opening move in the Conservative Party plan to scare British voters into giving them a majority at the next general election. It looked even more like it when Conservative Party Leader Stanley Baldwin took the floor for the National Government, replying to Mr. Churchill. ”We believe.” rumbled Mr. Baldwin, “that Germany is in the course of expansion of her long-service army of 100,000 men into a short-service, peacetime army of 300,000 men in flat violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Far more interesting is the air position. . . . The figure we have on excellent authority is 600 military aircraft. . . . The budget in 1932-33 amounted to 43,250,000 reichsmarks, and on that budget Germany was operating a very markedly successful civil aviation. The next year the figures rose to 75,000,000 and this year to the surprising figure of 210,000,000. . . . There is ground for very grave anxiety.” Elsewhere in his speech Mr. Baldwin said: “There have been [British] conversations with France none of which, I guarantee, would have taken place had Germany not left the League and had not her internal actions regarding arms been shrouded from that day in mystery.” In left-handed language Government Spokesman Baldwin then hinted that Germany ought to rejoin the League and subscribe to the Eastern Locarno Pact, a hint strongly repeated in Paris three days later by French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval. He then told Britons that “there is no ground at this moment for undue alarm or panic” since His Majesty’s Government is rapidly strengthening the Royal Air Force. “What is now happening is the tragedy of Germany.” Mr. Baldwin concluded. “Germany has cut herself off from the comity of nations.” To most of the King’s subjects this, as intended, was anything but reassuring. In a spirited attack on the Baldwin thesis shaggy-maned David Lloyd George, now leader of a minuscule Liberal faction consisting of himself, his daughter, his son and his son-in-law—all M. P.’s—declared: “If you let the imagination run, you will bankrupt the country in trying to provide against imaginary dangers!”