GENEROUS OFFER

Hokitika Guardian, 20 December 1932, Page 5

GENEROUS OFFER

N.Z. TO BRITAIN

LONDON PRESS COMMENT. v United Press Association—By Electric Tel egrapli—Copy right ) LONDON, December 19. • The newspapers give prominence to New Zealand .s offer to resume tne Dominion s war debts payments, the papers emphasising the generosity of tins proposal, and -also its 'imperial significance. 'file “.Morning Post’s” diplomatic correspondent says: “These debts were suspended during the Hoover .Moratorium. Britain had never acknowledged that the moratorium had •aided, ft was plain that Britain had intended the continued suspension to apply to the imperial as well as ahe foreign debtors, as otherwise New Zealand’s hall-yearly instalment wouitl j have been due in September; hut this I had neither been expected nor asked for. New Zealand now inquires whether the payment to America lias altered the position. The answer is clearly in tile negative. At the same time, the people of Britain much appreciate the gesture, and this the more so as New Zealand is struggling with the difficulty of its budgetary problem, and it would he a great effort for it to provide £875,000.

OFFER CHEERED IN COMMONS.

(Received 11.40 a.m.; RUGBY, December 19.9

Tn the House Commons, Mir Thomas announced amid cheers, that the New Zealand Government’s offer to resume tier liability for war debts payment to Britain if suspension were not granted following the Hoover moratorium, was made on the resumption of the debate on the continued moratorium by the United States. Fie said that the British Government was most appreciative of the at titude of the New Zealand Government in view of their own difficulties and responsibilities, and lie had conveyed their appreciation. The matter was receiving the Government’s attention. The British press expresses warm appreciation of the New Zealand Government’s action.