BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 21 March 1928, Page 2

BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Australian Press Association A Sun.) LONDON; -March 19, -Mr Baldwin said lie refused an inquiry on tlm gromid it would serve ho national eiid and was foredoomed to futility. He revealed that the copy ol flic Zinovieff letter was communicated to flic "Daily A lai 1 ” by Conrad Donald Imtlmrn, a business man in the City, not connected with a Government: Department or politics. He contended that the event- which really stirred the country and shattered the electors' laith in Labour were the failure to prosecute tile Comnnist. Donald Campbell. and thou the Russian Treaty, under which the British taxpayer would become responsible for the interest and sinking hind on loans to lie raised by the Soviet. As a result of these events '■he Labourites had lost the election even before the publication of thcZinovicll letter. Tin* latter contained • milling lien. 11 was a citcmcilt to procure disloyalty among the Hoops, which Soviet propagandists made in every country in Europe. If Mr MacDonald had continued to show tin* backbone revealed by the protest he sefit Uie Soviet, he might have saved many seats. Air Alar!owe‘’s letter did not reveal any leakage bum the Department*. Labourites talked as though the letter was a Uriti-.il State document. It was a letter from .Moscow to tile F.nglisli Communists, whose executive had disi ussod it prior to the Foreign Office receiving it. Any Communist might have given it to the press. History showed tiie men who were traitors to their own country were traitors to one another. Williams, interjected the suggestion that Air Baldwin was lying and was ordered to leave the House. Mr Baldwin declined no good purpose could he served by calling on Mr -Marlowe to betray bis informant. In obedience to the principle of journalism they would be hopeless il committed to the clock tmver or even to prison, and they would only make themselves a laughing stock in ibis case. No British secret was revealed and no disservice was done to tile nation. Alt Inithiirii. who first gave the iuforiiiatioii, sail! Air Miiflnne authorised IT in to lead the letter, stating in Vietf of the Labour attacks on the Government Departments and also his own release from ihc pledge ol secrecy, he wi.-hed to inform the* Commons that he learned ironi a business acquaintance mo days before it reached the Foreign Oilin', that Moscow had sent an extra ordinary letter to British Communists. 11l view of Hie alleged incitment to sedition lie asked his Irieitd to get a copy, which he did the lollowuig day. Mr Imtlmrn is a nephew of Sir Evererd Imtlmrn, formerly Governor of Fiji. Air Baldwin said lie had never heard of nor seen the mail till to-day. Mr Baldwin, continuing, said ImtlmriTs letter added ‘ "I was indignant at Moscow, which was about to borrow here trying to foment sedition ahd decided to inform the Goverumeht aiid send the letter to the press. As soon as my inlnrmaui. who said ins life was endangered, reached salety, I handed over a copy to a friend in- close touch with the " Daily Mail.” 1 received no payment or other reward lor it. 1 was solely responsible for obtaining the text and arranging for its publication in the " Daily Alail.’ I received no assistance from anyone in any Government office. I was actuated solely by patriotic motives.” Sir Douglas Hogg challenged Mr MacDonald to answer, yes or no, .to whether he would have had the letter published before tin* election, apart from the " Daily Alail s action. Air MacDonald replied that he intended to follow the usual l'oroign Office practice of publishing correspondence with a foreign power when fho proper end was reached LOXON. March Mb lii tiie Commons, Sir D. Hogg asked: Would All MacDonald answer directly whether 1 1 0 believed tiie letfer a forgery / Air MacDonald rinswetetl: f refer you to Mr Baldwin’s speech: Sir i). Hogg said: Afr MacDonald apparently does not desire to give a I straight answer to a straight question T think tiie House will draw its oivi'i conclusions. The ti'ufh is Air .MacDonald knows and believes in his heart that the letter was genuine, and dare not say so. The danger of the proposed inquiry is that it would disclose to Russia Downing Street’s sources of information. Thai is why Chichorin wanted it. The Government had verified the authenticity of the letter from four independent sources. Mr MacDonald’s motion was defeated by 326 to 132. LONDON. -March 20. It is generally agreed Labour made the last serious attempt to discredit the Zinovieif letter. Air Baldwin’s dramatic disclosure of Imthurn’s letter, followed by .Mac Donald’s evasion of Hogg’s challenge completed Alactionaid's party's, discomfiture' ,aliel deeply impressed tile Huiise, 4 lie division list is the best indication of that. Even Liberals buddy trooped to the Government lobby.LONDON, .March 204 Sonic Labourites stilt protest that 1 mtlmrn’s disclosure left the Zinovieif letter in the air, and ask who gave it to Dlithllrit: The latter, interviewed, said there were the strongest of reasons for not disclosing the name. Is it not feasible that, )i man in my position would act as I did unless absolutely sure of tiie ground ? If it is unautlientie it would lie an extraordinary coincidence that I should receive one copy from the Foreign Office and another two days later. 1 think in the best, interests of everybody the matter should lie dropped and buried.