THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1920, Page 3

THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

IN THE COMMONS

".Reuter’s Telegram.)

(Received this day at 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 16 In the Comnions, Sir Hamar Green--1v -pod ‘ stated the Lord Mayor of Cork was being courtmartialled on a charge of bein'' in possession of a secret police cipher code. Mr Billing drew attention to the re- ■ solutions threatening a general strike, in the event of military measures being taken against Russia, which he described as tantamount to a Labour dictatorship, under the name of the Council of Action. Mr Billing asked if the time had to terminate the jjrgsipdgatipfl of industrial disturbance fpr' the purpose of achieving political ends. Hon Lloyd George said the Government’s policy appeared in nowise to suffer from thp Labour Conference. This swing of a sledge hammer at the open door was only intended for display. , Any attempt to dictate a policy to Government or Parliament by industrial action struck at the root of the democratic constitution of Britain, and would he resisted with all the forces at the Government’s disposal. Hon. Bonar Law in moving adjournment until the 19th. October, with a provision that it might.be convened early if desirable said nothing had occurred since the adjournment e xcept what appeared in the nowspapers. Government’s policy regarding the PolishRussian question had been laid down in /"’the clearest possible manner by the Prime Minister. There was not the slightest .foundation for the suggestion that the policy was altered ‘by any expression of public opinion, or the ac- j tion of a body calling itself the Council j pf Action. There had nof been the slightest deviation from the .beginning, in the British attitude, towards the Polisli-Russian war. He stated that Government’s message to the British representative in Warsaw for conveyance to the Poles laid it down that wo would not interfere if the Russian terms were genuine, and it went no further than that. The messages was communicated simultaneous to the Allies and the Italian Government had telegraphed its entire approval of fhe step taken.