AGREEMENT ON STATUS

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5315, 30 January 1947, Page 5

AGREEMENT ON STATUS

(Press Assn.—

mixed reception in london and rangoon

-Rec. 9.30 p.m.)

LONDON, Jan. 29. In the House of Lords to-day, Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Secretary for India, announced that Britain had agreed after talks With the Burmese delegation that the people of Burma should as early as possible determine the future constitution of their country. ! A Constituent Assembly would be elected next April, consisting of Burmese nationals only. It would be conducted generally in the same way as the Indian Government. | The Under-Secretary for the Dominions, Mr. Bottomley, would go to Burma this week to discuss arrangements • and ascertain the wishes of the frontier people. Interim arrangements for finance and defence had been agreed upon. I Mr. Attlee made a statement in the House of Commons on similar lines. In reply to Mr. Churchill's question, "Does the statement mean that we pay and we go, or only that we go-?" Mr. Attlee said: "The statement does not mean that we go; it means that the. Burmese have the right to j decide whether or not to stay wihin j the Commonwealth." A Reuter message from Rangoon states that the agreement reached at the London talks about tbe future of Burma is having a mixed reception. The Rangoon Press points out that two of the Burmese delegates dissented. Some papers condemn j them for obstruction and sabotage. Others praise them for standing by their principles.