INDIA CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 1 August 1930, Page 6

INDIA CONFERENCE

DISCUSSION IN PARLIAACENT,

(Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 30. The subject of the Indian roundtable conference was again raised in both houses of Parliament. Lord Reading, in the House of Lords, supported by the Conservative Leader, Lord Salisbury, asked the Government to give effect to urgent representations made yesterday that Sir John Simon should be invited to be a member of the conference. Earl Russell, Under-Secretary of State for India, replying, said tins question, and those involed in it, had been exhaustively considered by the Government in consultation with the India Government. The Simon Statutory Commission, had performed its task with distinction, which would secure for its report a prominent place in official political literature. It had presented its finding to Parliament. When the conference now contemplated was proposed by the Chairman of the Commission, with the consent of ifis colleagues, the Government alone was to have' taken upon itself the ne-. gotiatiohs. He said:- “We have widened this, so that Parliament, in. its varied composition, may be represent-, ed. The Government is certain that it will be advisable to halt there, and 'not to add another section of representatives to the delegates announced yesterday. The Government is confident that the representatives to be selected will be able to get from the Conference the fullest examination of every proposal brought before it, and that every opportunity will be taken to secure the most expert and wellinformed advice, wherever it is to be found; and that it will be available for the Government and for Parliamentary representatives. The Government is confident that any departure from this decision will not case the task, or promote the success of' the Conference.”

’ 'in-the House of Commons, the Prime Minister read a reply in similar terms, : in/ answer to a question by Sir A. .CJhamberlain, who, however, said that the answer hardly met liis point, which was that the Chairman of the Statu:tory Commission, Sir John Simon, should be present at the Conference, jso ‘that his services could be made available to the Conference.

Mr Lloyd George said that he understood from the Prime Minister that the Government left it open to Sir , John Simon, or anybody who had expert knowledge oh the matters to be considered by the Conference in order to aid the Conference in coming to a decision. He, therefore, asked' the ..Pyiipe, Ministefi wliethe'r lie would not ‘close liis mind to the questioriof summoning their Aid to the examination of this'very grave problem. He understood that the'^*'‘Tndian :; "Eegfsla'fore would • probably- , be. • ‘represented by those chosen by’ both Houses -to examine this problem. ;' •_ 'V' (>' \i\ The Prime Minister said that this raised a totally different point. If the Conference wanted’ advice, and asked for it,, it would get it. If the British delegates to it wanted advice they would get it. How it was to be proved was a matter on which he had not had the time to go into the details. The Conference would not meet until November, after the Imerial Conference, hut he wanted to make it perfectly clear that the. Government had come to the definite decision tha,t it would not be advisable to have other enterogies of delegates than those mentioned yesterday and to-day. Sir A. Chamberlain then asked for an undertaking that, if any of. the delegations desired the presence of members of the Commission, their services, though not as. members, .should, be available within the Conference.

The Prime Minister, replying, said that he declined to go further than the considered statement which he had made.

Ultimately, Sir A. Chamberlain asked the .Speaker if he could have leave to move the adjournment of the House to-morrow to discuss the refusal of the Government to invite the Chairman of the Simon Commission to take part in the Conference.

The Speaker pointed out that such a motion, under the Standing Orders, •should be moved now, but said that he would consider the motion on its merits, when submitted.