RUSSIAN DEBATE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 August 1924, Page 9

RUSSIAN DEBATE

EXTRA EDITION.

—« Virtually bead. A VOTE UNLIKELY. BY CABLE-PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYEIGHT Received Aug. 8, 11.55 a.m. LONDON, Aug. 7. Parliament, which should have adjourned yesterday, was forced’to meet to-day m consequence of the vigorous Conservative ana Liberal opposition to the Russian treaty last night. At the outset of the debate to-day the Opposition secured a ruling from the Speaker that the abortive draft treaty wnereon the Russian negotiations broke down must be published. Sir Robert Horne evoked angry Ministerial cries and Opposition cheers by urging that it was agreed that the draft treaty should not be signed till Parliament reassembled. Mr. MacDonald said he wished to sign the treaty to-day, and emphasised that the signing of the treaty did not involve the sanction of the Commons. The Government pledged themselves to produce the treaties and lay them before Parliament for acceptance or rejection. The Government was anxious that not a clause, provision, or line in the treaties should be operative until the House sanctioned them The /vHousa in fairness ought to allow the i agreement to *be signed, otherwise an extraordinary and intolerable precedent would be established, and he could not assent thereto. The Opposition was unable to point to a .single thing that would come into operation as a result of the mere signature. The whole Liberal front bench, including Mr. Lloyd George, left the House, presumably to confer regaranfrg' their attitude, Mr. MacDonald afterwards pointing out that the House had to accept or reject the Lausanne treaty as it stood, and gave a pledge that the Government would not follow the Lausanne i-precedent and would not insert a clause that every word, line, and provision in the present treaty must be accepted en bloc or rejected altogether. The House could amend, consider, pass, or reject what had been done. He particularly urged that the Conservatives should not rashly, on the last day of the session, set a precedent for negotiations. Mr. Morel (Labour) said the whole of the Labourites enthusiastically supported Mr. MacDonald in refusing to be placed' in a position of inferiority in the negotiations compared with his predecessors. He characterised Mr. Lloyd George’s attitude in attacking the treaty and pretending to sympathise with the Russian people as revolting. Sir R. Horne said that the world’s belief that the signature of the British Ministers would he confirmed by the Commons obviously did not appertain in the case of a minority Government. Mr. MacDonald interrupted, pointing out that he had given a pledge that the treaty could be amended. Mr. W. A. Jowett (Liberal), while the treaty, indicated that the Liberals would not be likely to support the Conservatives’ effort to delay its signature. Mr. MacDonald then left the House. Mr. Clynes asserted that it was the constitutional right of the Government to complete the initial stage in an honest endeavour to restore AngloJ Russian relations. He appealed to V the members of the House of Common;? to pass to an adjournment discussion. Mr. Lloyd George said the grounds of last night’s adjournment should have been complied with when the Prime Minister had stated that the treaty would be available to the House. Mr. Lloyd George therefore sunported Mr. dynes’ appeal that the House should discuss an adjournment. The House thereupon read a third time the Consolidated Fund Bill, finally passing the financial provisions for the year. It is unlikely that any vote in regard to Russia that the Opposition may press during the adjournment debate will have political significance, even if the Liberals support the Conservatives, which is unlikely. Consequently the Russian debate is virtually dead, and a vote is improbable.— Reuter

Received Aug. 8, 11.40 a.m LONDON, Aug. 7. The Russian debate ended when Mr. Lloyd George supported an appeal from Mr. Glynes to discuss the adjournment. —Reuter. TREATY PROVISIONS. ADJUSTMENT OE DEBTS. PROPERTY RIGHTS. Received Aug. 8, 1.10 p.m. LONDON, Aug. 7. The Russian treaty contains twenty articles, the most important of which deals with loans and debts. The Soviet agrees to modify the annulment of those renounced in 1918 by agreeing to satisfy the claims of British holders of loans guaranteed by the former Russian Imperial Government, payable fri foreign currency. Britain, on her part, recognised the financial and economic position of Russia, and will not permit the full satisfaction of claims, the conditions of settlement of which must he accepted by holders at not less than half the capital values of such holdings. Each of the contracting parties will appoint three persons to examine claims, and if the six agree they will recommend what lump sum is payable. If they do not agree the sections will report separately. The Soviet agrees to negotiate regarding the extent of compensation payable in respect to nationalised cancelled concessions or businesses. The questions of British-Tsarist war loans, also Tsarist gold handed over to Britain and Germany during the war, Russo-Brittsh debts and Soviet claims arising from Allied interference are reserved for later discussion. It is provided that on signing the treaty the British Government will seek Parliamentary approval of a guarantee loan to the Soviet. Most favoured treatment is conceded to the Dominions, and the treaty may be extended to the Dominions if desired.

The Soviet makes a separate declaration insisting on the right t claim the restitution of Russian naval and commercial vessels disposed of without its consent.

Lord Parmoor, in the Lords, said that British bond-holders were involved to the extent of £40,000.000 and . the claims on behalf of private owners and companies amounted to £35,000,000. Finally, the nationalised property which the Soviet had confiscated was valued at £180.000,000. piis.-N.Z. Cable Assn.