OFFICIAL WIRELESS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 December 1929, Page 5

OFFICIAL WIRELESS

RUSSIAN ENVOY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received this day at 10 a.m.) RUGBY, Dec. 16. The newly /appointed Russian Ambassador, Sokol nikoff, was received at r the Foreign Office to-day by the Foreign Secretary, Mr Henderson, their j conversation lasting over one hour. It is expected .that Sokolnikoff will be received by the Prince of Wales m a few, days, for the presentation of credentials. FLOODS RECEDE. RUGBY, Dec. 16. The floods in the Thames Valley conin ued to recede rapidly to-day, there being a fall of over one foot in the river during the last 24 hours recorded at Molesev Lock, and the rate of the flow also shows a big reduction. High tide passed this afternoon, leaving a big margin of safety on Thames Embankment, where Hooding occurred last year. IN THE COMMONS. QUESTIONS AND REPLIES. RUGBY, Dec 16. The Fbreign Secretary was asked in the House, of Commons whether he had any communication from the Egyptian Government regarding the proposed draft treaty submitted by the British Government? Mr Henderson replied—No, and he did not expect to receive any rurtner communication on this subject until a fiber the Egyptian Elections, and restoration to Parliamentary regime. He was asked whether he agreed with the statement made by a member of the Government in the House of Lords that these proposals were not to be 'Considered as a draft treaty, but merely as proposals? , He replied that the proposals never were intended as a draft treaty. They were merely proposals submitted to be negotiated, subsequently by any Government elected by the Egyptian people. Mr Ayles (Labourite) asked the Premier whether Britain had committments to the League of Nations or British Empire which prevented the House of Commons itself coming to any conclusion it desired on disarmament ? Mr MacDonald replied that an article of the Covenant of the League of Nations enjoined on members of States and consequently on the British Government, a reduction of their armaments to, the lowest point consistent with national safety and enforcement common action of international obligations. Another article ,of the Covenant imposed obligations to join in action for a common enforcement of certain undertakings. Britain’s committments ns regarded the British Empire were dictated by the needs of self-defence. Mr Ayles asked whether the Government believed there was still a margin so far as our own armaments were concerned, that we could reduce down to what the Prime Minister had said was a level of national safety, and ii not why should we go into the Disarmament Conference? The Prime Minister replied: “It is because there may be that margin discovered only by international agreement. that we are going into that conference.” Air Henderson stated that so far as his information went, the forces opposed to Nanking Government in China had keen defeated near Canton and had made no further progress on any of the other main lines of attack. The situation ut Nanking and Shanghai appeared to be quiet. Naval forces available for the protection of British Nationals in case of danger, were five cruisers, one aircraft carrier, eight destroyers, five sloops and eighteen gunboats. The available military forces consited of three battalions at Hong Kong, two in Shanghai and two at Tientsin, with a small detachment at Peking and Wei Hv.i Wei. Other Foreign Powers had an aggregate naval strength in Chinese waters which was approximately the same, and about eight thousand troops; nminh at Tientsin and Shanghai.