BRITAIN READY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20007, 4 August 1939, Page 11

BRITAIN READY

“ANY EMERGENCY” CABINET ASSURANCES RECESS FOR COMMONS FAILURE OF AMENDMENT OPPOSITION EXPRESSED (Elec. Tel. Cdpyrtglit —TJniled Press Assn.) <British Official Wireless.) Rccd. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY, Aug. 2. Britain was now ready _ for any emergency, declared the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, in moving in the House of Commons a resolution providing for the adjournment on Friday until October 3 with a provision for an earlier summoning if desirable in the public interests. He was explaining the state of the Parliamentary business which dictated the choice of dates and pointing out that, by the end of the week, the House would have passed all the emergency legislation which the Government has had to bring forward in view of the international situation. This emergency business had, Mr. Chamberlain recalled, interfered with the Government’s ordinary legislative programme for the session and l'or that reason they were under the necessity of calling Parliament together sooner than usual in the autumn to give time for completing that programme which included the Criminal Justice Bill. Mr. Chamberlain went on to declare, amid ironical Opposition cheers, prompted by newspaper speculation on the possibility of a general election in November, that the date of reassembly would not only enable the programme of the present session to be completed, but would give an opportunity of starting the new session well before Christmas and enable the House. to make a good start with the legislation in the new programme. Unexpected Situation

There were two reasons which might necessitate calling the House together at an earlier date. One would be if the Government felt it necessary to ask the House to pass new legislation not at present contemplated. The other would be if the Government desired to have the approval of the House to measures the Government had taken, or was about to take, in order to meet an unexpected situation. “W c have no information at present which leads us to suppose that it will be necessary to call the House together at any particular moment in a fortnight or three weeks,” lie added. “If, however, after the House was adjourned, it was in our mind that circumstances had arisen which brought into play either of the considerations I have mentioned, we would not hesitate to use our powers accordingly.”

Finally Mr. Chamberlain gave an assurance to Mr. A. Greenwood (Lab., Wakefield), that if the Government were contemplating any important departure from its declared policy, then it would think it right .to give the House an opportunity of expressing its opinion without waiting l'or the date of the resumption of Parliament. Earlier Meeting- Sought

An amendment was moved by the acting Opposition leader providing that the House should reassemble on August 21. He based his case on the uncertain international situation, mentioning the Moscow negotiations, the .situation at Danzig, the AngloPolish financial discussions and the position of the Far East, but he admitted that the amendment was prompted toy distrust of the Government.

The Liberal Leader, Sir Archibald Sinclair, supported the amendment, which was also supported by Mr. Winston Churchill (Con., Epping). He argued that the House of Commons counted abroad, and particularly in the dictator countries, as the most formidable expression of British national will and as the instrument of that will in resistance to aggression. Mr. Churchill said that there were heavy concentrations of German troops at present along the Polish frontier, including five German divisions around Breslau alone. The roads to Poland through Czechoslovakia had been brought to perfection by forced Czech labour. Many schools and public buildings in Bohemia were prepared in readiness to accommodate wounded. Yugoslavia was another danger spot. Mr. Churchill cited in proof of his theory the choice of Parliamentary recesses for a number of recent strokes by the totalitarian States. Describing the critical situation as he saw it in Europe to-day, Mr. Churchill asked: “Who can doubt there is going to be a supreme trial of will power, if not a supreme trial of arms?” Sir William Davidson (Con,, Kensington) said that Britain, with the Dominions and her allies, was well able to give a good account of herself. Dictatorship Query Mr. J. R. Cartland (Con., King’s Norton) said that Mr. Chamberlain’s speech made it difficult for his supporters to combat the impression that the Prime Minister aimed at a dictatorship within months. “We may fight and die yet we cannot understand why Mr. Chamberlain has not made a great gesture for national unity to show faith in the democratic institutions,” he said. Sir Percy Hannon (Con., Moseley) jumped up on behalf of other Birmingham members and apologised for Mr. Cartland’s language. Mr. Chamberlain demanded that the vote be treated as one of confidence. He said that all of Mr. Churchill’s arguments were based on the theory that if Parliament were silting the danger would be minimised. Yet Vienna and Prague were occupied during the session. Mr. Greenwood’s amendment had no basis except distrust. The Prime Minister said: "I confidently expect my friends to reject it.” The amendment was defeated by 250 votes to 132. The resolution was carried by 245 votes to 129.