LAUSANNE ECHO.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 165, 14 July 1932, Page 7

LAUSANNE ECHO.

FRANK STATEMENT.

"Gentlemen's Agreement" Debated in Commons.

CHANCELLOR EXPLAINS. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, July 13. A speech by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. George Lansbury, followed Mr. Mac Donald's Lausanne statement in the House of Commons. Mr. Lansbury promised full support tor the Lausanne agreement and for any further proposals made with the object of solving the world's economic problem. Mr. Lloyd George urged that the British Parliament had a right to know the contents of the so-called ''gentlemen's agreement" entered into on July 9, which M. Herriot, the French Prime Minister, had disclosed to France. Did the German Chancellor, ITerr von I'apen, know when he signed the Lau- : -aline Treaty tbyt another agreement had been entered into which rendered the whole treaty nugatory? If the terms of the "gentlemen's agreement" were given to Hcrr von Papon, then he had withheld it from the German public. Referring to America, Mr. George said: "If you are going to negotiate with a creditor the worst thing you can do is to make him angry. I never suggested repudiation. If America insists Britain must stand by her bond." (Cheers.) When Mr. Winston Churchill supported Mr. Lloyd George, insisting that the "gentlemen's agreement" be published, Mr. Mac Donald was obviously perturbed. He shook his head and whispered to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, who rose and spoke trenchantly. Trenchant Reply. Mr. Chamberlain asked: "Does Mr. Lloyd George suggest that we should have agreed to a cancellation all round, irrespective of what might happen with America afterwards? It might be that when we went to America she would say we had done what she had asked and had agreed among ourselves. If she still felt she must ask us to pay something more than we received from the Allies then we should have to consider what we are going to do." Mr. Chamberlain said there was no mystery about the arrangement made with Franco and Italy. There was not the slightest objection to publishing the papers if the Governments concerned would allow it. Mr. Mac Donald, intervening, said the gist of the documents was on public record, so there was no occasion to publish them. Mr. Churchill: Whib the documents are withheld difficulties and suspicions will arise. The Foreign Secretary, Sir John Simon, in replying, said the effort made at Lausanne in true comradeship was to turn the gaze of Europe to the future and turn their backs on the past. Mr. Hoover had made a valuable contribution in the matter of disarmament, but it had never been suggested that his proposal was cast-iron and that everyone must bow down and worship it. Britain was after international disarmament, but proper regard must be given to the reductions Britain already had mado single-handed. The debate was then adjourned. Mr. Chamberlain's frank explanation seemed to satisfy the House.