BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 109, 25 May 1937, Page 7

BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY

Mr, Lyons Attacks Critics of Home Government (Received 25, 11.0 a.m.) . LGNDON, May 24. The Rt. Hon. J .H. Lyons, in the absence of Mr Neville Charberlain and Mr Mackenzie King, was invited to preside at thijs afternoon's Iinperiai Conference defence discussions. Meanwliile it is now possible to reveal points from a speech made by Mr Lyons during the closed-door discussions on foreign affairs. The Australian Associated Press has reasou to believe that Mr Mackenzie King and a couple of other Dominion representatives were somewhat critical of Britain's past foreign policy. It is believed that Mr Savage considered that sanctions should have been pursued and that Britain displayed weakness in this connection so far as Abyssinia was concerned. It is also gathered that Mr Lyonsturned on Britain's critics, emphasising the difficulties and complexities with which Britain was faced. He also vigorously defendod the cairn balanced handiing which, he averred, if it had heen otherwise, might havo ended tragicaliy. Mr Lyons appealed to the Dominions to stick together in the future, as is was imperative for their own safety to discard any isolationist inclinations.