KING IN LONDON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 September 1938, Page 5

KING IN LONDON

LOYAL WELCOME ON ARRIVAL HIS MAJESTY RECEIVES MINISTERS. PARLIAMENT TO ASSEMBLE SHORTLY. (Recd This Day, 10.5 a.m.) LONDON, September 15. Crowds cheered 'the King on his leaving Euston Station and on arriving at the Palace, where Sir John Simon was an early caller, to acquaint his Majesty with the latest international developments. The King gave a long audience to Viscount Halifax and later saw Sir Thomas Inskip. Parliament is to be summoned again after Mr Neville Chamberlain’s return, to hear a statement on his conversations with Herr Hitler.

The joint Labour Party executives, after a meeting lasting three hours, decided, in view of Mr Chamberlain’s mission, that no good purpose could be served in expressing an opinion.

GERMAN PLANS

REPORTED RESIGNATION OF CHIEF OF STAFF ARMY CONSIDERED NOT READY FOR WAR. VIEW SHARED BY OTHER GENERALS. LONDON, September 15. The “News Chronicle’s” Berlin correspondent says that General Beck, Chief of the General Staff, has resigned. The resignation is believed to be due to his refusal to participate in planning an offensive against the Czechs and and a defensive action against France. A large number of German generals are of the opinion that the army is not yet ready.

INITIATIVE APPROVED. BEST IMPRESSION MADE AT VATICAN. (Recd This Day, 9.20 a.m.) VATICAN CITY, September 15. A communique states that Mr Neville Chamberlain’s initiative has created the best impression at the Vatican. LONDON COMMENT MR CHAMBERLAIN PRAISED LONDON, September 15. London newspapers devote their leading articles today to Mr Chamberlain’s unprecedented action in visiting Herr Hitler, and praise him for taking such a momentous step and bold course. “The Times” says: “It is another proof of Mr Chamberlain’s courage and common sense.”

AUSTRALIAN SUPPORT FEDERAL PREMIER CABLES MR CHAMBERLAIN. CANBERRA, September 15. The Prime Minister, Mr J. A. Lyons, has cabled the Commonwealth Ministry’s warmest admiration to the British Government on Mr Chamberlain’s visit to Berlin and has assured Mr Chamberlain of the Australian Government’s full support for his policy and actions in the cause of peace. All leave in the Australian Navy has been stopped.

GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT. EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE. (Recd This Day, 11 a.m.) CANBERRA, This Day. Mr Lyons has received a message from Mr Chamberlain stating that Mr Lyons’s cable regarding Australia’s cooperation with Britain had reached Mr Chamberlain just as he was leaving for Germany. The message, said Mr Chamberlain, had been a great encouragement to him and he sent his warmest thanks.

FULL SUPPORT STATEMENT BY MR SAVAGE HISTORIC GESTURE IN CAUSE OF PEACE (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Full support of the action taken by the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Mr Neville Chamberlain, in deciding to fly to Berchtesgaden to discuss the European situation with Herr Hitler was expressed by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon M. J. Savage, in an interview last evening. In addition, Mr Savage expressed warm admiration of Mr Chamberlain’s decision, which he personally regarded as an historic gesture in the cause for peace. “The New Zealand Government was informed of Mr Chamberlain’s decision in the small hours of the morning,” Mr Savage said, “and there should be no need for me to state that we are firmly behind Great. Britain in this matter. The issues* at stake involve practically the whole of the civilised world and probably millions of lives may be in the balance. In these circumstances, Mr Chamberlain has shown an outstanding appreciation of the responsibilities of his high office.

“Whethei’ Mr Chamberlain’s mission succeeds or fails,” Mr Savage continued, “the gesture which he has made will go down in history. He has not been prepared to await developments without making a personal approach to a man who has equally great responsibilities. “Personally, I think Mr Chamberlain will succeed in averting the possibility of war. What he has done merits our deepest admiration. Faced with a problem of the greatest magnitude, he has shown himself to be a man big enough to deal with it in a big way.