Ministers' Journeys
The publicity attaching to the recent visit of Mr. Eden and Mr. Butler to the United States and Canada is becoming something of an embarrassment to the Govern- ment. The measure of understanding achieved by the two Ministers with the members of the new Administration in Washington, and by Mr. Butler with his Canadian oppo- site numbers in Ottawa, was clearly valuable. But the House of Commons in particular does not live by assurances of interna- tional understanding alone. It wants something to bite on— and possibly somebody to bite. Mr. Eden received little sym- pathy on Tuesday for his statement that he and Mr. Butler had been discussing in Washington conclusions reached at the Commonwealth conference last December, which conclusions have never been fully disclosed; had been assured of general American sympathy with those conclusions, but had neither sought nor obtained any specific commitments; and would go to Paris next week to traverse the same ground with the repre- sentatives of the O.E.E.C. countries, but again without-any intention of entering into commitments. The plain fact is that preliminary and exploratory missions of this kind are best con- ducted without undue publicity, since they cannot possibly issue in early concrete results. Mr. Eden and Mr. Butler are suffering now from the solicitude with which Parliament and the Press have followed their journeyings. It will probably be best for all concerned if they are now left to work in peace. The general public may be willing to grant them this much. But will the House of Commons ? There was more in the rough reception which the Foreign Secretary received on Tuesday than mere dissatisfaction with the meagre information he was able to give about his recent journey. The Opposition seemed to be giving evidence of a determination to make Mr. Eden the main target for a prolonged and concerted attack. That attack has much more to do with the grand strategy of party politics and with the next General Election, when it comes, than with the policies which he is attempting to pursue.
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