Smack at Snowden

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 855, 26 December 1929, Page 9

Smack at Snowden

CHURCHILL ON WARPATH Chancellor Attacked “CRAPULOUS AND DICTATORIAL” United JP.A.— By Telegraph—Copyright Received Noon. LONDON, Wednesday. !N the House of Commons, Mr. Winston Churchill, discussing finance, commented on the honours bestowed on Mr. Philip Snowden, the present Chancellor of the Exchequer, since The Hague reparations conference. He said that as more indulgence and honour was shown Mr. Snowden.became more crapulous and dictatorial.

The Chancellor had been anxious to cast the blame for his self-made difficulties upon his predecessor’s shoulders.

Examining Mr. Snowden’s record for the past six months, Mr. Churchill pointed out that at The Hague Mr. Snowden only carried out the policy Mr. Churchill had laid down when he was Chancellor. Certainly Mr. Snowden had made a good fight at The Hague, but in such a rasping and provocative manner that possibly he had lost a good deal of his small gain. Indeed, he gave away more than would have happened under the preceding Government’s arrangement.

It was a matter for serious criticism that Mr. Snowden had failed to take advantage of the great opportunity to obtain liberation declarations in the Balfour Note, and self-denying clauses that we should not take any more from Europe than was taken from, us for the payment of the debt to the United States. It would have been his (Mr. Churchill’s) policy, if there had been the slightest infringement, immediately to claim release. Mr. Snowden still had that opportunity at The Hague on January 6. Alluding to the late Government’s difficulties arising from the general strike, Mr. Churchill asked where was Mr. Snowden during the strike. He wept into hiding. Mr. Churchill invited Mr. Snowden to say what was the actual amount of the country’s additional burdens which he had countenanced in the last six months.

The Chancellor was using the silk and McKenna duties as a wedge between the Opposition parties, iu the hope of gaining a bridge of support for a future Budget. Mr. Snowden did not care a snap of the fingers that 20,000 additional unemployed might be created.

Replying, Mr. Snowden said Mr. Churchill need not apologise for the length of his speech, which was appropriate to the occasion, because this was only a season of pantomime. Mr. Churchill had said that only eight mouths ago he proclaimed the sanctity of the Balfour Note, from which, he said, the country would never be asked to be relieved. If Mr. Churchill had adopted some of his rapsing manner in the negotiations with France and Italy he might have obtained a settlement more favourable to Britain. All Mr. Churchill’s difficulties arose before the strike, in remitting taxation for the benefit of his political friends, and raiding every reserve fund. It was his (Mr. Snowden’s) lot to make up Mr. Churchill’s deficiencies—the £95,000,000 in liabilties which Mr. Churchill could not meet from revenue, and also £50,000,000 due to his raids. Had Mr. Churchill’s Budget been a company’s balance sheet, he would have found himself in the dock. (Labour cheers.) ■ There was also the task of making up £59,000,000, whi.il Mr. Churchill short-paid to the Sinking Fund, which must be restored if Britain’s credit were to be maintained. Virtually,

the whole of the present Government’s increased expenditure was due to his predecessor’s commitments.