BRITISH POLITICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 December 1929, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

IN THE COMMONS. (British Official Wireless.) LONDON, Doc. 18, In the Commons, Mr Lunn asid as soon as Masimid Pasha’s proposals l<>r ail Anglo-Egyptian treaty wore in sufficiently concrete form, the Government of Australia and New Zealand were notified. They would he kept fully informed of all subsequent developments. Asked if the Empire Marketing Board refrain from giving publicity to goods from those Dominions which restricted imports of British man us faeturers, Mr Lunn said the principles on which the Board worked were often specified. It would be inconsistent with its policy to show the suggested discrimination. DESIGNEE. LONDON, Dec. 18. Sir Herbert Samuel has resigned the chairmanship of the Liberal Party Organisation. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. (Received this day at noon.) RUGBY, Dec. 19. During the Commons debate last night on the resumption of diplomatic relations with Russia, the Foreign Secretary (Mr A. Henderson) replied to -questions regarding propaganda and the Dominions. After commenting on the difficulty of negotiating with distant Dominions in the restricted time, he proceeded •—“When once we have resumed relations with Russia we shall watch this question of propaganda. We are ns much opposed to propaganda as any other party on the other side of the House, When we get into relations with Russia we shall do everything, we can to prevent it, and in the event of it continuing, we shall use all our diplomatie powers to have it discontinued, but, and I think it was Mr Lloyd George, who in his speech on November sth, expressed such a hope, we shall not pack up our kit for the first .provocation. That is the line we shall endeavour to follow.” The Secretary for India, Captain Wedgewood Benn, during the Commons debate last night reiterated that the goal of the British policy was the achievement by India of a Dominion status, but he pointed out that India was already acquiring, at a growing rate, tne attributes of that status. He recalled several recent occasions on which an Indian representative had attended international conferences and received a separate vote in the same way as other Dominions. He pointed out that a special Indian delegation attended the recent conference on Dominion legislation and would so attend the coming Five Power Naval Conference. The Government desired a prospective round the table conference to be summoned after the presentation of the iSimon report to be fully representative of political opinion in India and that it should bo called at the '.earliest possible moment. The conference wpuld meet with a iree hand so that every section of opinion would be able to come forward and express itself. The conference was not intended to be merely a sop to Indian opinion, and he hoped when the time came for the conference it would be found possible for Indians to compose their differences so that the Government would get a maximum of assistance and guidance in fids matter. They were entering upon a new era and they were attempting to write what might be the greatest chapter in the history of the British Commonwealth, namely the free and voluntary association of . self-respect-ing nations in partnership with the British Commonwealth. COAL BILL. LONDON, Doc. 18. At a meeting, the Liberal Party decided to vote against the second reading of the Coal Bill, unless the Government gives a satisfactory assurance on the points which Sit Hei bert Samuel raised yesterday.