BRITISH ELECTIONS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 15, 30 October 1935, Page 5

BRITISH ELECTIONS

THE BROADCAST SPEECHES.

VISCOUNT SNOWDEN’S VIEWS.

DEFENCE OF LABOUR POLICY.

(United Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 1.10 p.m.) LONDON, October 29.

Continuing the party election broadcasts, of which five have been allotted to the Nationalists, four to the Labour Party, and three to the Liberals, Viscount Snowden broadcast while controversy is still raging whether Sir Herbert Bainuel should have given one of his three 'Liberal dates.

Lord Snowden opened by saying that he spoke as an independent politician, by courtesy of the Liberal leaders. He said that the Government had introduced a full protectionist system within six months of taking office, though at the election Mr Baldwin declared that protection was not an issue. Then came the Ottawa agreements, which had had a serious effect on foreign re lations and confirmed the suspicion abroad that British Imperial policy aimed at excluding foreign countries from the markets and raw materials of th<p Empire. Viscount Snowden said: “Tory spokesmen now tell us that other nations have a legitimate claim to expansion and access to raw materials. Japan, Italy, and Germany have long claimed this, but it has taken lawless war to awaken the Tories to the fact. The Tories advocated protection as a means of compelling foreign countries to lower their tariffs against us, but the opposite has been .the result.” Lord Snowden protested against the falsehood that Labourites were responsible for the slump in 1931, and added that the Government’s domestic record was one of almost unrelieved failure and cruel complacency about millions of unemployed. The Government was now having an election in order to hide. It was trying to exploit the international crisis as it exploited the national crisis of 1931*; • As regards the Italo-Abyssinian dispute, lack of firmness and clarity in the early months encouraged Signor Mussolini to believe h© might pursue his object with impunity. Mr Baldwin’s statement that the Navy, was out of date and inefficient was inaccurate. Huge sums had. been spent yearly in replacement.

Lord Snowden proceeded to deal at length with unemployment and declared that Mr Lloyd George’s proposals would break the back of the problem in a; year. It was the duty of the electorate to get this self-satisfied Government out. of office. He urged support for the Liberal candidate where pledged to the Lloyd George programme and to vote for Labour where the Government candidate and Labourite were opposed. * " ' v

A MIXED RECEPTION.

MR MACDONALD’S MEETING.

(Received This D'av, 9.35 a.m.) LONDON, October 29

Mr J. Ramsay MacDonald opened his campaign at Seaham (Durham) to a mixed reception, the meeting terminating with hoots and cheers. Mr MacDonald enlarged upon the expansion of trade under the National Government, but admitted that he could not find a remedy for unemployment in six months. He urged goodwill between the colliery owners and the miners.

Sir Herbert Samuel warned his hearers at Nottingham that if the next House were packed with Conservatives, as was the last, there would be no guartntee of continuance of the new-born zeal in support of the League. Therefore, for the sake of peace and disarmament a sufficiently large Liberal element should be returned as the only means of securing peace was through the League.

MR CHURCHILL’S ALLEGATION.

(Received This Day, 1.35 p.m.) LONDON, October 29. Mr Winston Churchill, speaking at Woodford, arraigned the damages which might result from’ Lord Snowden’s broadcast and added that Lord Snowden harmed his colleagues to the greatest extent in the 1931 election.

PROTEST AGAINST BROADCAST.

LORD SNOWDEN’S POSITION. LONDON, October 28. Both Conservatives and Labourites have protested against Lord Snqwden’s broadcast and demand that a Liberal be substituted. The Liberals refuse and say there has been no breach of contract.

NEARLY 1300 CANDIDATES.

ONLY 175 LIBERALS STANDING.

LONDON, October 28

The number of candidates so far adopted by the political parties to contest seats at the election is 1295. Of this total, 557 represent the National Government, and . prospective Opposition candidates number 738, including 540 Labour, 175 Liberal, 21 Independent Labour Party and two Communists.

Party preparations for the elections are complicated in many districts because campaigns are already in full swing for municipal elections in boroughs and counties. These will take place on November 1.