STEPS IF NEEDED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20001, 28 July 1939, Page 6

STEPS IF NEEDED

PLAN TO FACE CRISIS CABINET assurances AMPLE POWERS GIVEN COMMONS IN RECESS (F.loc. Tel. Copyright.—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY. July 27. In. reply to Mr. A. Greenwood (Lab., Wakefield) in. the House ol' Commons to-day, the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, said, that the adjournment of Parliament for the summer recess would' be taken on Friday of next week. He would' announce next week the date of the reassembly and he intimated that the motion for the summer adjournment would contain the usual prevision for ain earlier recall of Parliament if necessary. Mr. Greenwood asked if Mr. Chamberlain had given consideration, to the suggestion that there should be regular meetings of the House during the recess and that they should not disperse for a considerable period' in view of the public anxiety over the int err. at i ona 1 situation. Mr. GhamberMn replied that it did not seem to lvim an advisable course to pursue, but would be likely to keep the whole country in a state of anxiety. Powers Sufficient Mr. Greenwood then suggested l that on the contrary, it would be more iikely to give a feeling of satisfaction and to strengthen, public opinion were it known that, the House met from time to time. Mr. Chamberlain replied' that this was a, matter of opinion, but his opinion was that The powers which the Government already possessed were sufficient. The Liberal leader, Sir Archibald Sinclair, said l that in view of the possibility of grave events, abroad, surely at was undesirable that the? House should separate for any prolonged period. He asked that, if the Prime Minister found himself unable to accept the suggestion made by Mr. Greenwood that the House should meet regularly in the interval, would he at any rate agree that the House should not adjourn for several weeks, but that it .should adjourn for not more than- a fortnight, or for three weeks at the most. iMr. Chamberlain answered that he had no reason to suppose that if grave events supervened that they should supef-vene in a. fortnight or three weeks, or at any particular time. The only reasonable or sensciblc course was that the Government, which had the responsibility, should watch the course of events and the House might depend upon it that the Government would exercise its powers with a due sense of responsibility. Further questioned by Mr. Greenwood, Mr. Chamberlain said: “I do not want to tie myself down to the precise words of a pledge, but, broadly speaking, if the Government should contemplate some departure in its foreign policy, and I understand it is the foreign policy which is in question, I think it would be an occa--sion for calling the House together.”