“BEAR’S CARESSES”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 851, 20 December 1929, Page 9

“BEAR’S CARESSES”

RELATIONS WITH SOVIET DEBATED REJECTION MOTION FAILS LONDON, Thursday. The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Arthur Henderson, stated in the House of Commons that the subjects for immediate discussion with the Soviet Ambassador, M. Sokolnikoff, were set out in the protocol. Sir Kingsley Wood (Conservative) : Will you not immediately discuss the grave religious persecution in Russia? Mr. E. Marjoribanks (Conservative); Will you inform him that only the House of Commons can approve of the resumption of relations? There was no reply. Captain P. D. MacDonald, Conservative member for the Isle of Wight, proposed a motion disapproving of the Government’s negotiations with Russia, and condemning the careless drafting of the protocol of the agreement. Captain R. A. Eden, Conservative member for Warwick, in seconding the motion, said he could not understand the fascination felt by Labour members for the caresses of the bear which had already killed one, and might be expected to exrerminate another, Labour Government. The former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Sir Austen Chamberlain, said the protocol provided for the approval of Parliament. Even if Mr. Henderson meant to ignore the House of Lords, he should not imply in official documents that the sanction of the House of Commons was the sanction of Parliament. In the negotiations Mr. Henderson had shown himself as squeezable as putty in the hands of the Soviet and had prepared the way for the exacerbation of the bitterness of the Soviet propaganda throughout the Empire. MINISTER SURPRISED Mr. Henderson, in replying, said it was a surprising thing to submit such a motion, when the House of Commons by a majority of 125 had already accepted the negotiations and their result. Parliament was the right word to use, to make plain that the executive could act only after approval by the relevant Parliamentary authority. Regarding propaganda, there had been an exchange of Notes on the subject, and in addition at the request of the Dominions there would be a supplementary Note, in which the name of each Dominion w’ould be specifically mentioned. The Soviet’s promises regarding propaganda would thr«j apply to the whole Empire, including India. The motion was defeated by 251 votes to 107.