-5- world could have any faith in the word of the Government of one of those powers. Mr. Chamberlain by this time spoke with a white-hot anger. It was very apparent that this particular issue had a deeply personal response from his individual emotions. After a further pause, he went on to speak of his ex- periences at the time of Munich. He said that no Govern- ment in England could continue to receive popular support if it entered into any negotiations with the Hitler regime. He then said that from what Lord Halifax had told him of our talk he agreed with what he understood was my own feeling that the key to the problem of today was the ques- tion of disarmament. But he said "I do not believe you can achieve real disarmament until you csn reestablish con- fidence. You cannot obtain confidence until the German people show that they wish a real peace by changing their present government." I said to Mr. Chamberlain that if he would forgive my apparent levity, the issue he presented reminded me a good deal of the old conundrum as to which came first, the hen or the egg. He spoke of disarment being impossible until confidence in Europe was reestablished. I for one could not begin to see how any nation could have real confidence until disarmament had actually in great part taken place, and-at least until certain types of offensive armaments had been abolished, and particularly bombing airplanes. I could not help but feel that the problem of physical and national security must be solved before the atmosphere could become propitious for the growth of that very tender plant, confidence. Mr.Chamberlain |