BRITISH POLITICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 June 1924, Page 2

BRITISH POLITICS.

LATEST CABLE NEWS

iCSTRALIAN AND N Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION

si.vnwnixT nv i'iimmikii. LONDON. June fi

In the Commons Mr MacDonald announced that Canada had acquiesced in ratification of the Lausanne treaty, lie hoped the Irish Free State would

a 1 so agree and so enable the treaty to be ratified. In regard to the foreign policy he expressed the opinion that if we were going to engage in further negotiations that would commit either ihe honour or resources ot the Empire, that the Imperial Conlerence resolution in this connection should he the subject ol very careful enquiry bv the constitutional representatives of the Dominions, as well as Britain. The representatives of the Dominions were men of wide experience in Covernnient and constitutional working, sitting w..n us as a sort of specialised subcommittee or committee at the Imperial Conference to explore whether we could not make some provision. The resolution must he a little more definite and so remove possible misunderstandings, hut lie emphasised that the British Government must have power to make rapid decisions. He said that on three important occasions in his own liriof oxporiou oo. it was very doeessarv for him to take courage In hands and risk the consequences and say—“ That is our decision.” and on each occasion the result justified his action. Mr MacDonald emphasised the so-called Chanak telegram had tremendouslv changed the relations between the Dominions and Britain. He promised a statement to the House before anything definite was done.

COMMONS DEBATE. LONDON, June G

In the Commons Mr Civ-nos announced that in consequence ol the great dominions' interest, two days, June 17 and |B, bail been allotted to the debate on the preference losolul unis.

Air Baldwin has given notice chal-

lenging C:e Government's policy in this loiluectioli. LLOYD GEORGE CRITICISED. LONDON, June t>. In the course of the Lausanne debate m the Commons, Mr Lloyd George condemned the late Government's action, lie ileelareil all they did was to tell the Dominions that they had agreed with the Allies that the Dominions would not he represented. He asked wlmt would he the position in the etcut of trouble ill the East, lie pointed out that Russia would not abandon her aspirations for Constantinople and the Straits while he could not imagine that Italy would he always satisfied to see the great derelict lands which were once prosperous under the Italian Hag. and which languished under the Turkish Hag without making some effort. Turkey might always he depended upon to provoke a quarrel. Trouble was inevitable in the East.

Air Ormsby tone declared Mr Lloyd George's remaiks were most misehicvioits. lie said hail Lloyd George’s Turkish policy been allowed to proceed it would have gone a long way towards making the problem of the Government of India impossible. There was nobody more universally distrusted in India or whose policy was believed to have been more disastrous to tlie relations of India with Britain than Lloyd George.

ACT!'MX ELECTION PREDICTED. LONDON. June 7. I The "Daily Express” lobbyist states: Thi' leading Ministers have decided that the (lovernment should go to the country in the autumn, immediately alter il:c midsummer recess, which will lie largely devoted to campaigning. The Oovernincnl will seek an issue wliereon to light, pressing forward the elalioratinn of its unemployment policy. and its housing scheme, hoping that these will will the ('lectors’ confidence. The Liberals are already cam-

paigning and preparing for an autumn election. The Conservative's ate also planning a campaign under Mr Baldwin.

win* conservatives forced ELECTION.

POLITICAL COHRESPONDENT'S VIEW.

(Keccived this day at 8 a.til.) LONDON, June 8

The “.Sunday Times" political correspondent draws attention to a passage) in Mr l.lovd Gonrge’.s speech on Friday when he said that he anticipated that within his life-lime the Dominions' populations would he a hundred millions instead of sixteen millions. He proceeded fo emphasise the importance of knitting the Empire together by consultation and common action. The correspondent comments: —Tt will not lie surprising if Mr Lloyd George regards the Imperial preference proposals, which will he debated on the 18th. of June, as entitled to sympathetic consideration. The story that the Baldw inite.s ) reci] itated the last election because they discovered that Mr l.loyd George was prepared to take a leaf out of Lk-qiii Chamberlain's hook had this miii'li truth, that during his visit to Canada Mr Lloyd George dis-cus-el preference fully with tl»? lending men.

IMPERIAL POLICY. LONDON. June G

In the House of Commons, in the course of debate. Sir W. Grigg dell mimed the omission'of tile late Conservative Government to -end separate representatives t.■ the Lausanne Conference l.'.'tween the Allies and Turkey, lie declared that the result of this omission was that the Lausanne Treaty wa- the only peace treaty that li.i • II It been signed by the whole fo the Hriti'h Empire. Mr Haiiisav Mo- Donald said that, in

regard to the proecdm-.' in the future, th- Government stood by the resolution of the la-t Imperial Conference that the Dominions interested should he informed he fore treaty negotiations were oiiciicd. and that where their interest' arc directly concerned. should he renresented. So far as ho v.iis concerned, that resolution of the Imperial ( oiiicr-oiee would always lie pu' into op-ratimi.

Tile I’rime Minister lurther expressed the opinion "that the tilii” has come when we must consider what machinery is required i" he created to conduct united imperial police, parifeularlv in regard to foreign affairs.