Word: austen
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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Such was the totally misleading theme-sentence of a suave, lengthy reply returned, last week, by British Foreign Minister Sir Austen Chamberlain to the proposal made by U. S. Secretary of State Frank Billings Kellogg (TIME, April 23 et seq.) for a treaty "renouncing war as an instrument of national policy" among the U. S., Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan...
Tucked away in the 12 additional sections of the British reply are a series of interpretive qualifications which would deprive of all meaning the phrase "renouncing war as an instrument of national policy." For example, Sir Austen Chamberlain declares: "I should remind your Excellency that there are certain regions of the world the welfare and integrity of which constitute a special and vital interest for our peace and safety...
...Received with approving cries of "Hear! Hear!" from members of all parties a statement by Foreign Secretary Sir Austen Chamberlain concerning the proposal of U. S. Secretary of State Frank Billings Kellogg that a treaty "renouncing war as an instrument of national policy" be signed among the U. S., Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan (TIME, April 30). Sir Austen said that the Dominions must be consulted before His Majesty's Government can formulate a reply, but that "it will be to the effect of our desire to cooperate in the conclusion of such a compact...
When hecklers cried, "What about the South African War?" bland Sir Austen replied with lofty irrelevance, "I am not going back to ancient history or the crusades...
Paradoxically the drafter of Britain's ultimatum and threat to intervene was Foreign Secretary Sir Austen Chamberlain who recently received a Nobel Peace Award (TIME, Dec. 20, 1926). In the House of Commons, last week, Sir Austen bared his imperfect teeth in a wolfish smile when Opposition back benchers shouted that he was "Bullying Egypt!" With the crisis safely passed, however, he beamingly announced that Empire sea hounds Warspite and Valiant had been ordered back to their kennel at Malta...