Now let us try to see what else we can discover from the letter. Is this a formal or more informal letter? Was it intended to be read by Chamberlain only?

If we look at the style and wording of the document, we find some clues. Read it carefully and then answer the question below in notepad 4.

On face value the relations between the two men seem friendly enough; yet look what happened just seven weeks later. Write your answer in notepad 5. Consult the chronology file to help you.

This turn of events presents us with something of a mystery. If we re-examine our initial letter perhaps we can find some clues. Eden is clearly worried, as you can see from the second paragraph.

When Eden talks about 1938 being a difficult year, I wonder what he is thinking of? Perhaps he is referring to the addition of Japan to the Rome-Berlin Axis just a month previously. This would certainly have threatened the life-line of the British Empire from the North Sea through the Mediterranean and beyond to Singapore. You can see from the map where Singapore is in relation to India and Japan. It might also be Italy's resignation from the League of Nations just three weeks previously. Eden mistrusted Italy almost more than Germany though he was certainly aware of the growing German threat. This is shown very clearly in this Evening Standard Cartoon of May 1936. When you have looked at it, try to work out the message. If you'd like to check out your understanding of cartoons go to support file.

Britain was necessarily concerned because of her possessions in the Far East: Hong Kong, Malaya and Singapore. The threat of Japanese aggression was a constant source of worry to British defence planners. Britain needed to give priority to maintaining sea links joining the Empire and if necessary defending its threatened outposts which you can see highlighted on this map. The creation of a huge naval base at Singapore was begun in 1923. It was not completed until 1938, by which time Britain could no longer provide the ships to guard it. When so much attention was being paid to events in Europe, why do you think Eden's letter concentrates so much on the Far East? In an earlier speech to the House of Commons, Eden makes it clear that

"the very thought of action in the Far East (against the aggressive Japan) must depend on the co-operation of other nations besides those who are actually Members of the league at this time."