HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 August 1923, Page 3

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

4USTRAMAN AND N.Z. CA'DMI ASSOCIATION. Til K REP.VR A'l’lONS. MR MACDONALD ON POSITION. LONDON, Auk. -• 1m the House of Commons, in discussing Mr Baldwin's statement, which is identical with l.onl Cnrzon’s. Mr Ramsay .MacDonald expressed hi- profound dissatisfaction with tin- replies from Fiance and Belgium. However, there was one point of satisfaction and -that was that the Governent at last was deterndned to devise and pursue a policy of its own. lie urged Air lialdH ill t 0 give a definite assurance that he would call the House together il the circumstances arose. The first point in the new departure was to end all secrecy.

Continuing .Mr Macdonald said that we had nothing to hide to he ashamed of and it was clear that Franco was not in the Ruhr hir reparations, hut her ]Hiliey was prompted hy warlike feelings and being not satisfied with the result of the war, it was an attempt to continue the war after a formal peace had been declared. Mr Maedonald claimed that Rritain was, economically, far more depleted than Frame, and the first thing to do was to come to a settlement with Germany : also an agreement with France and the other Allies.

Regarding the inter-Allied debt Mr Austen Chamberlain depreciated the suggestion that we should rank ourselves definitely on the side ol Germany. That would he a grave decision. The benevolent and passive attitude to the French promised by Mr llonar Law had given way to an native attitude hut it

made relations no letter ami brought a solution no nearer. Since January there had been a dangerous change in the European situation and the 1< reneh and Tlritish Governments had drilled steadily further apart. This policy, while it failed to restrain Franco, failed to ensure relief from Germany and encouraged her.