HOUSE OF LORDS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 February 1930, Page 5

HOUSE OF LORDS

(Official. Wireless.)

(Received this day at 11 a.m.)

RUGBY, February 20,

In the House of Lords,’Lord Birkenhead called attention to the resumption of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Government or to their representative in London, that there had been a breach of conditions or understanding upon which the relations were resumed. He referred to the recent protest made in the House by the Archbishop of Canterbury against religious persecution in Russia, and to the Primate’s desire to keep the protest from politics. Lord Birkenhead declared he knew of no definition of politics which would exclude the topic where with the Primate had been concerned. The pledge of the Soviet Government to curtail propaganda and the activities of the Comintern had been broken. It was notorious that there had been no cessation of energetic action against us in India or Afghanistan.

Lord Pa moor, replying.’ for the Government, said that if any statements were made by Comintern which rendered it necessary in the opinion of the Government to break off diplomatic relations with Russia, they would deal with them in the same way as if they had been made by the Soviet Government stielf. Tire Government did not attempt to define a distinction between these two bodies, but in the opinion of the Government there had . been no such breach as made it necessary to break ioff relations.