NEWS OF THE WEEK T HE plans for Sir John Simon's
next journcyings are still incomplete. What is certain is that he is going to Berlin within the next few days. That is satisfactory on every ground. It will make for elucida- tion of the German attitude, and it will satisfy Germany's very reasonable anxiety that she shall be brought as fully as this country or France into the scope of conversations which directly concern her. The next step is still undecided. That Moscow desires a visit from a British Minister or Ministers is definitely established, and it is very much to be hoped -that if Sir John Simon finds it impossible to prolong his Berlin trip or to undertake another and longer one in the near future the Moscow mission should be entrusted to Mr. Eden. The Lord Privy Seal possesses certain personal qualities which enable him to get on terms with foreign negotiators with the minimum of preliminaries, and it is well that full advantage should be taken of that happy endowment. The two Ministers primarily con- cerned with the conduct of foreign affairs are, indeed, admirably complementary to one another, and even in Berlin, where many contacts have to be.made, a division of the Widen between the Foreign Secretary and the Lord Privy Seal would seem desirable.
