Speech From the Throne

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 273, 8 February 1928, Page 1

Speech From the Throne

“MOST MEAGRE EVER HEARD’

King Opens Parliament

QUEEN MARY ABSENT FOR FIRST TIME

By Cable. — Piets Association. — Copyright. Received 10.47 a.m. LONDON, Tuesday

CUSTOMARY enthusiasm greeted the Royal procession to-day from Buckingham Palace to the House of Lords, where the King opened Parliament. The Queen, who, for the first time since His Majesty’s accession, was unable to attend the ceremony because of a cold, watched the departure from a window. The Speech was described by the Leader of the Opposition as the most meagre ever heard in Parliament.

His Majesty, in the Speech from the Throne, said: “Great Britain’s relations with foreign Powers continue to be friendly. It is the constant effort of my Government, in co-opera-tion with the League of Nations, to secure the settlement of international differences and to promote the

cause of peace. “I have invited the King of Afghanistan to visit me in March, and I look forward to welcoming his Majesty. It will be a particular pleasure to receive his Majesty on his first visit to Europe. “The position in China has so far improved as to permit large reductions in the naval and military forces which were sent there for the protection of British and Indian subjects in the Concessions, but the internal disturbances, the civil wars, and the consequent insecurity of life and property, both Chinese and foreign, still cause anxiety.

“Despite these discouraging circumstances, my Government will adhere to the declaration of its policy a year ago as the basis on which it is prepared to meet Chinese aspirations, when the Chinese can assure satisfactory protection of British lives and property.Treaty With U.S.A.

“The United States Government on December 29 communicated with the British Ambassador at Washington, Sir Esme Howard, as the basis of negotiation, the draft of a new treaty of arbitration to replace the treaty of 1908. This draft is being carefully and sympathetically studied by my Government. It will be considered, in ccmmunication with my Government and those of the Dominions.

“Although conditions in some of the principal industries continue to cause serious anxiety, I am glad to observe many encouraging signs of progressive improvement, both in home and external trade, justifying the hope that, with co-operation and goodwill, steady progress will be made during the coming year. “Ministers are now inquiring into the possibility of relieving industry and agriculture of the burdens of

local rates, and changes in local government are thereby involved. “Proposals will be submitted to Parliament for amending local government franchise. Measures will be presented relative to national health insurance, and increasing credit facilities for agriculturists.”—A. and N.Z.Sun.

REFERENCE TO. CHINA

GENERALLY ENDORSED OMISSIONS FROM SPEECH LABOUR LEADER’S CRITICISM Reed. 11.10 a.m. LONDON, Tuesday. Mr. J. Ramsay MacDonald, Leader of the Opposition, said: “This is the most meagre King’s Speech ever heard. The Government evidently thought that the session was going to be a long" t holiday. Well, the Labour Party will see about that.” Mr. MacDonald welcomed the references to China, and added that all sections in China should be made aware that Britain hoped to co-operate with the Chinese self-governing nationalist State in the most friendly way. He asked why the Factories Bill had been omitted from the Speech, and why there were no references to the Washington Convention. Moreover, there was not a word about coal. • The victory which had been secured for the coal owners by the Prime Minister, continued Mr. MacDonald, was being used by the owners to enable them to be the owners of the men. The iron that was entering the souls of the miners was not iron of poverty but the iron of human degradation. Favourable Effect Abroad , Mr. David Lloyd George also welcomed the paragraph in the King’s Speech regarding China. He was very glad that the Foreign Secretary, Sir Austen Chamberlain, and the Government had come to the conclusion that things had improved to such an extent that it would be possible to withdraw quite a large number of troops from China. He wished it had been possible to say that things had improved to such an extent that all troops could be withdrawn, but it was quite clear that this happy state of things had not yet been reached. He reminded the House that he had throughout supported the Government’s policy in China, and expressed satisfaction that not merely had the Government and the Foreign Secretary adhered to the important declaration which Sir Austen Chamberlain had made a year ago regarding the intentions of the Government, but that, despite difficulties which had since been encountered, they had come to the conclusion that they saw no reason for departing from that exceedingly wise policy. He called attention to the great difficulty which existed in China, remarking that there was no Government there which could be depended upon to exist beyond a few weeks, which made the task of any foreign Government in regard to negotiations difficult. He dwelt on the favourable effect abroad which would be created by the policy of the Government in adhering to the declarations made a year ago. Would End War Talk Dealing with ■ the proposed new treaty of arbitration with the United States, Mr. Lloyd George asked whether it would include every subject of dispute. He said that the failure of the Geneva Conference had been most disastrous, and made it more necessary than ever that some treaty of this kind should be entered upon between the two Governments, which would exclude the possibility of war and exclude even the discussion regarding war between the two countries.

If that Mtere done there would be an end to the discussions of rival armaments, and there would be a

new temper brought about which would achieve very great results.

He emphasised the importance of fostering the spirit of goodwill, co-op-eration and partnership in foreign affairs, between this country and the United States. The Prime Minister, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, stated that the paragraph in the King’s Speech relating to China was prepared on purpose, that it might be read throughout the world in that prominent position. He was glad that endorsement had been given to it both by Mr. Ramsay MacDonald and Mr. Lloyd George. They would make it a national policy and the whole world would recognise it as such. With regard to the American Arbitration Treaty, this was a difficult and technichal subject. The Foreign Secretary proposed to deal to-morrow afternoon with any point regarding the foreign policy which might be raised in debate. The Liberal Party decided that Mr. Lloyd George should move an amendment regretting that the King’s Speech contained no indication that the Government appreciates the hardships of social and industrial life, or contempllates their amelioration by measures for the development of national resources, the provision of work for the unemployed, or the solution of the slum problem. Colonel Lambert "Ward, in moving the Address-in-Reply to the King’s Speech, aroused laughter when he pointed out that the results of general elections had always been on the knees of the gods, but an extension of suffrage would mean that results would be transferred to the laps of the godesses. His speech included pleasantly phrased references to the Speaker’s chair at Canberra, which he said would S«Qh a 9 S ru? F on ? . of between British and Dominion Parliaments. He Mr y o f^ia s t r a — in th * of the Duke and Duchess Of York had given great satisfcc.'on to .\ £ tra ia and Xe ' v Zealand.— A. and