REPORTS DENIED

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 129, 2 June 1937, Page 11

REPORTS DENIED

CHANGES IN SPEECH

MR. JORDAN'S EXPLANATION

(Received June 2, 1 p.m.)

LONDON, June 1.

The New Zealand High Commissioner (Mr. W. J. Jordan), upon his return from Geneva, denied reports that the British Foreign Secretary (Mr. Anthony Eden) had blue-pencilled his speech, on the Spanish question. "It is true," he said, "that Mr. Eden and myself cbnferred regarding the speech I was about to make, but neither Mr. Eden's, action nor mine was influenced thereby. We do desire, if practicable, to present similar cases to the League Council." Mr. Jordan, as rapporteur of the Health Committee of the League, has been invited to attend a: committee meeting at Paris in October to which the Health Ministers of all the European nations have been invited.

It was reported on Monday that all Geneva was discussing a strange scene at the League of Nations involving Mr. Eden and Mr. Jordan. The latter was reported to have Intended to,'invoke Article 10 of the Covenant regarding Spain. While Mr. Eden's speech was being translated into French (stated the message) Mr. Eden walked to Mr. Jordan and began pointing a pencil to certain passages in Mr. Jordan's speech. Finally several members of the British delegation surrounded them and Mr. Jordan was seen making alterations. Mr. Jordan then rose to speak and made an innocuous plea in favour of moves to secure a cessation of hostilities in Spain. Mr. Jordan and other members of the New Zealand delegation declined to discuss the incident.