DEBATE IN COMMONS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 15, 18 January 1924, Page 7

DEBATE IN COMMONS

M'NEILL BLAMES PAST

FOE LEGACY OF MISMANAGEMENT.

(HCtIIEK'S TELEGRAM.) LONDON, 16th January. . The House of Commons was crowded on the resumption of the debate on the Address-in-Rep]y. A lengthy statement was made by Mr. Ronald M'Neill '' "(Con.) in reply to the indictment of the - Government's foreign policy. He pointed out that the foreign policy was essentially continuous. If there had been gross mismanagement' in. the fjast five years tho Government's chief critics had been moat largely responsible. Referring to the Tangier Convention-, h° : emphasised the fact that the agreement secured the permanent neutralisation of Tangier, and the maintenance of an open door, by establishing an international regime which would effect-, ually prevent any one Power from being predominant. Mr. Lloyd George asked who. controlled the port. Mr. M'Neill said that The share capital of tho international company would be distributed as follows: France, 30 per cent..; Britain and Spain, 20 per cent, each; the Shereefian Gov..efnmert, international administration, and other i countries, each 10 per cent. Consequently, only 30 per cent, of the shares wore in the hands of France. He said that he was confident that the House of Commons would be given an opportunity of discussing the agreement if it desired( Lieutenant-Colonel John Ward (Lab,) declared that tho agreement practically handed "over the port to France.