SERIOUS DOCUMENT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 181, 24 March 1932, Page 5

SERIOUS DOCUMENT

1 (Press Assn.—

RECEIPT ANNOUNCED BY SECRETARY FOR' DOMINiONS GOyERNMENT SURPRISED

-By Telegra.ph — Copyrlght).

LONDON, Tuesday. In the House of Commons, Mr. J. H. Thomas (Secretary pf State for the Dominions) announced that he had received from the Irish High Com- | missioner a most important and serious docnment. He would take the earliest opportunity of giving an official reply. This was followed dramatically by a question by Mr. J. C. Wedgewood, Labour, Newcastle-on-Tyne, as to I whether the Minister's attention had | been called to tbe position in Ireland, and would he say when the next payment of land purchase annuities was due. Mr. Thomas assured his questioner that relations between Britain and the Free State rest'ed on the treaty. The next payment of annuities was due late in June. The suddenness of Mr de Valera's communication surprised the British Government.

Mr Dulanty called on Mr Thonms j during a meeting of a Cahinet subI committee, which was discussing the Ottawa Conference. Mr. Thomas immediately he received the statement consulted Dominion's Office offieials and then took his plpce In the House, where he held a whispered consultation with the Prime J Minister, Mr. Ramsay MaoDonald. j The latter's gestures indicated his advice not to disclose the contents of [the document. The lobbies later were excited. Thei position is regarded as so serious that it may necessitate the "Cabinet, if not Parliament, remaining in J London during the Easter recess.