BRITISH CABINET CRISIS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1917, Page 3

BRITISH CABINET CRISIS.

MR HENDERSON RESIGNS

LONDON, Aug. 11.

The Press Bureau states: Mr A. Henderson has resigned from tne Cabinet, and Mr Neville Chamberlain has resigned the directorship of National Service.

Both resignations have been accepted.

HON. A. HENDERSON RESIGNS

WELLINGTON, This D»v. The High Commissioner reports from London August 11th. at 3.20. p.m. Hon. Arthur Henderson has resigned from the War Cabinet and the Resignation has been accepted.

CORRESPONDENCE ON SUBJECT,

LLOYD GEORGE’S STRICTURES

HENDERSON IN REPLY,

rAUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION

(Received Aug. 12th. at 11.5. p.m.) LONDON August 11.

The correspondence between Hon. Lloyd George and Hon. Axthour Henderson regarding Henderson’s resignation js published. Henderson in tendering his resignation wrote —“I share your desire that the war be carried to a successful conclusion.”

Hon. Lloyd George in his reply intimated that the King had accepted his resignation and says—“ There are certain facts wherewith the public should be acquainted in order to form a correct appreciation of tho events that led up to this regrettable conclusion. Your colleagues were completely taken by surprise by the attitude you adopted at the Labour Conference. I was under the impression that you meant to use your influence against meeting raneruy representatives at the Stockholm Conference. This, also, was the impression of your Cabinet colleagues and your Labour colleagues. Surely this was a conclusion wheron you should have informed the Cabinet before entering tho Labour Conference, as you are not a member of the Labour only, but a member-of the Cabinet, responsible for the war. Nevertheless you did not deem it, necessary to inform the conferenco-of the views of your colleagues, and the delegates were accordingly justified in assuming that the advieo you gave was not inconsistent with their opinions.” Hon Lloyd George then points out that Government had received an important official communication from tho Russian Government, stating that although it was not deemed possible to prevent Russian delegates attending the Stockholm Conference, its decisions would in no wise be bunding on tho liberty of action of the Russian Government.

In a covering latter ho added “I hasten to lay this information before you ns it is feared the impression has hitherto prevailed that Russia evidently desired the Stockholm Conference and this, argument was put forward in order to influence British public opinion in favour of the and Socialist parties of Britain participating in the conference/’ Hon. Lloyd George adds—“l"immediately sent this communication to you, with the request that you communicate it to t}ie Labour Conference. You omitt ed to do so, though in the course of vour speech you made a very casual inference to some modification of the attitude of flie Russian Government.. “In these circumstances, your action does not appear to have been fair, either to Government or delegates you were addressing, who wero then left in ignorance of the vital fact, which must have necessarily affected their judgment. Hon. Arthur Henderson’s reply deprecates his attitude at the Conference being made the subject of controversy recrimination. He call only request the public to suspend their judgment till they know the facts. If any statement is necessary it will, he made at the proper, place, in the House of Commons. Even then his course would he influenced so far as it would affect the Nation’s into.ests in the successful prosecution r»i the war. PRESS COMMENT. MR HENDERSON CENSURED. (Received This Day at a -' n ) LONDON, Aug. W. The newspapers stress the fact ofHon. A. Henderson’s not disclosing the information regarding . Kerensky’s attitude. The messages made it clear that M. Kerensky did not dosirp the Stockholm Conference, and that the Russian delegates, in no sense, represented xn« Government’s views, or were able to pledge it. . The Labour Conference regarded Hon. Henderson os the mouthpiece of Government and supported him, believing they were thus hacking up the Government.

AN INTERVIEW. (Received, This Davatß.6o. a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 12, Hon Henderson, in an interview, said ho had no arrangement with his Cabinet colleagues, whereby ho undertook to convey the latest attitude of the Russian Government outlined -in M. Kerensky’s telegram to Hon. Lloyd George. He added that he had received no messages from Russia on Friday. “I had several placed before me hut not of Friday’s date.”

HENDERSON’S RESIGNATION. rAUSTRALIAN- & 2T.*. CABLE ASSOCIATION A REUTER.] (Received. This Dav at 8,50. a.m.) LONDON August- *2. Hon. A. Henderson’s letter of resignation to Lloyd George says—“l gathered at our interview that my retention of the Secretaryship of the Labour Party was no longer compatible with the membership of the War Cabinet. (Recent experiences have impressed me with the embarrassing ' complications arising from this duality of offices.’’ Ho expresses the bopo that in a nonOovernment capacity, be will bo abh ■ to render some little assistance in helping to fulfil Government’s desire to carry the war to a successful conelu- < sion. i