BRITISH POLITICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 February 1922, Page 4

BRITISH POLITICS.

PRIME MINISTER IN REPLY.

SCENE IN THE riousE. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. LONDON, February 7. Jn the House of Commons, Mr Lfoyd George, replying to Mr Clynes, said that, having' been committed by his leaders of the past and his associates of the present, he felt doubly committed to-' reform of the House of Lords, fhe Washington Conference had been one of the greatest in the world’s history. “Our policy towards France,” lie said',' “is one of friendship and Cooperation in the interests of peace. Our fiurposes are alike but our methods do not always agree; that is where the discussion comes in. We have given France the feeling that she is not isolated' and that Germany must he made to’ feel that a jiolicy of revenge will not only bring in France but other* lands as well. By this nibans the revenge sentiment will be discouraged at the outset.” The Geddes report was not' yet ready and economy was obviously the most important subject for the present sesison. The Government would, at the earliest moment, shbmit estimates showing the conclusions they had come to.

THE CORRIDOR COUNTRY. The Government was willing to meet the legitimate national aspirations of Egypt, and was prepared to abandon the protectorate but it must be on clear and fundamental conditions. Egypt was a corridor country. It was the highway between the east and west parts of the Empire. During the war over a million Australian. New Zealand a ( nd Indian troops passed through Egypt. “Supposing Egypt had been a.n independent counry which was hostile,” said the Prime Minister. “Supposing it had been a neutral country over which we had no contpol— I dont’ use the word disastrous—but it would have divided the British Empire in a, way which would have impaired enormously the strength of that Empire (Cheers). If Egypt had Keen independent it would have been over-run by Turkish armies led by Germans (Cheers), a very calamitous thing to the British Ehipire, her Allies find Egypt herself. It was the British and Australasian troops who protected Egypt. Without their protection Egypt would have been either a Turkish or German province.” When Lord Allenby had arrived, he continued, and the Government had discussed the situation with him he would be in a better position to inform the House on the subject.

VP(J I * TOE IRISH TREATY. , ro _ j A Bill would be introduced in a. few oli. | days to deal with the Irish Provisional the 1 Government. The first meeting between ing | the two Irish leaders was a success but he,. i the second was not. That was all that .]j| s had occurred up to the present, “Wit .jp_ don’t let us rush in at the first quarrel £„]’ and take sides.” The boundary quesom tion would lie considered only after the -rts j P°i' n tecl in an act of Parliament. The iVO _ Government was prepared to stand or the fa, l b J' tlie Treaty. at . POSITION OF AUSTRIA. , » Lord Robert Cecil asked for a statement regarding Austria. Mr Lloyd George said the position was very bald and there was danger of mv ' a complete collapse. Britain and the ..fo Allies were considering what could be lS y done to support Austria until the Unitet.'s ed States Senate removed the difficulty in the way of making advances upon () j? Austria’s national security. Britain j„ and France proposed to make advances u j te Austria. ATTACK ON PRIME MINISTER. |j ( l Mr R. M’Neill (Co.U.) later aroused re _ an angry scene while, calling attention I<a[ . to the differences between Sir James Craig and Mr Collins. He said: “I r0 _ wonder whether Mr Lloyd George told j io one story to one set of negotiators and ‘ another story to another, because I reP member, in 1916, he did a similar thing to Lord Carson and the late Mr Red'-i l e ’ mond.” Mr Lloyd George rose and heatedly |lt j! exclaimed' “That is not true.” Mr l )e Lloyd George added that Lord Carson and Mr Redmond were together and what was said then was said in the preo’: spnce of . both. Mr M’Neill: “That is not the story l )o I waS told by the gentlemen when they came back. Mr Lloyd George: “I have seen Lord j Carson many times since and he has never made the charge.” Mr MNeill: “I have also seen him.’ ri Mr Lloyd George angrily retorted; honourable conduct before.” The matter then dropped. LABOUR AND THE LORDS. 1 Mr Jack Jones (Labour) said the J ’ Labour Party favoured mending, the ’ House of Lords by ending it. Oblivion was its only place, particularly when then had a Lord Chancellor who resembled a hooligan with a halo. n WASHINGTON THE BEGINNING, i Mr Clynes admitted the advantage “ accruing from the Washington Confer- n ' ence over the naval disarmament. 1 Nothing, however, had been done in ‘j regard to land forces and he hoped the Washington Conference was only the beginning. They wanted] inter- « ’ national machinery for peace in order to adjust differences, as they arose on the basis of peace instead of war. He ’ wished to know if the ta!ke(l-of reform _ of the House of Lords would be in the : direction of increasing its power in ' view of c.omjng, jLabpup legislation.