BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 April 1938, Page 7

BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY

ANOTHER HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE Charges by Labour Spokesman MR NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN’S REPLY (Recd This Day, 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, April 5. Rising to take part in the House of Commons debate on the Labour Party’s motion of censure on the Government, the Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain), who was received with prolonged cheers, said it was the fifteenth debate on foreign affairs in nine weeks, and that concentrated attention on one subject must be unprecedented in British Parliamentary history.

The debate was raised by Mr G. Greenwood (Labour) who directed his chief attention to the Spanish situation and the question of foreign assistance to the National forces. Mr Greenwood said he could give particulars of the number of new aeroplanes which had gone to Spain since Mr Anthony Eden’s resignation. He could prove a large accession of military strength to the Nationalist forces. “I have the figures and numbers and types of aeroplanes that have gone there,” he declared. “I have photostat copies of German documents showing the structure of German air squadrons, one of which destroyed the last British ship that was destroyed. I have names of the Germans who were in the aero- - plane that destroyed that ship. It was brought down when bombing a Spanish railway line. I have here a photostat copy of the identification card of an officer who makes very serious admissions and who obviously does not speak without knowledge.”

Replying, Mr Chamberlain said the policy of the British Government had won the general approval of the whole country and practically of the whole world. It was still a fact that the Government looked forward to a time when the League of Nations would be so strengthened and so revitalised as to fulfil its purpose of being an effective instrument for the prevention of war and the establishment of settled peace in the world. “We shall do our best,” said Mr Chamberlain, “to increase the efficiency of the League until it is capable of performing those functions, but it cannot perform them today.”

The Prime Minister said the Government had no intention of changing its policy regarding non-intervention in Spain.

Sir Archibald Sinclair (Liberal Leader) said he thought it a mistake to have had the debate. The Prime Minister’s policy had not won the country’s approval nor that of the Dominions and the whole of the rest of the world as Mr Chamberlain claimed. “Call the League together before it is too late, and rally the forces of freedom and justice,” said Sir Archibald. “We want to put peace, law and justice in the world on the moral basis of the Covenant of the League of Nations.”