ETHIOPIA’S FATE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 May 1938, Page 7

ETHIOPIA’S FATE

CONQUEST NEVER CONDONED BY BRITAIN DECLARATION BY VISCOUNT HALIFAX DEBATE IN HOUSE OF LORDS By Telegraph—Press Association. Copyright. LONDON, May 18. A debate on foreign affairs was initiated in the House of Lords by the Leader of the Opposition, Lord Snell, who moved: “That in the opinion of the House the foreign policy of the Government, which includes acceptance of the sacrifice of Abyssinia independence and is detrimental to the democratic Government of Spain, offers no certainty of any compensating gain to the principles of peace and democracy.” The suggestion that Signor Mussolini might be induced to offer Haile Selassie a limited area of Abyssinia in which he would be granted internal autonomy under the suzerainty of Italy was strongly pressed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Cosmo Lang, who took part in the debate. A condition of the offer should be that Haile Selassie should forgo the title emperor and undertake to do his utmost to restrain the chiefs from fighting, Dr Lang said. Lord Brocket moved an amendment approving- the' Government’s foreign policy, including the Anglo-Italian agreement and non-intervention in Spain. , ■ The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Viscount Halifax, replying to the debate, said he fully understood the feeling aroused by anything resembling recognition of the Italian conquest of Abyssinia, but it was necessary to reconcile what was ideally, right with what was practically possible. “When the choice is between peace and war I feel the duty impels me in the direction of peace,” he said. “The British Government has never condoned the Italian action and never will.” The House defeated Lord Snell’s motion and accepted Lord Brocket’s amendment.