Mum

Five gentlemen around a table, four languages on the tips of their tongues, immeasurable legal knowledge stored on the configured surfaces of their brains, earnest discussion, minute considerations, matters that will affect the whole future course of western civilization --such was a conference last week at London.

Sir Cecil Hurst (Britain), M. Fromageot (France), Dr. Gaus (Germany), M. Rolin (Belgium), and Signer Pilotti (Italy)--they were the five. They were trying to arrive at a security pact that would settle Europe's boundaries, promote her peace, and enable her to disarm on land as well as sea. They were doing the work, so that in a few weeks the premiers or the foreign ministers of their countries could issue statements and put signatures to a specific document.

The five talked and argued and conspired. But when, after five days, they walked out of the conference chamber they were mum-mum as elephants or guinea pigs.