NO SURRENDER OF BRITISH MANDATES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 33, 9 February 1937, Page 7

NO SURRENDER OF BRITISH MANDATES.

OPIMOfI AFFIRMED. Colonies Would Not Solve Germany's Problems. OTHER PROPOSALS WELCOME. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Revived 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, February 8. Thirty members of the House of Commons spoke in favour of a resolution proposed at a crowded gathering of the Parliamentary Committee of the Empire Industries' Association declaring "that the meeting, having noted Herr Hitler's speech of January 30, reaffirms its previous opinion that there can be no transference of territories held under the British flag, and recalls responsible Ministers' emphatic pledges to this effect." It was stated that while the German claim would gravely imperil the Empire's strategic safety and impair its homogeneity, especially in Africa, such a claim would not substantially relieve Germany regarding raw materials or settlement of her people. However, the meeting would welcome any proposals to meet the real difficulties encountered by Germany and others for securing adequate access to supplies of raw materials and foodstuffs. The resolution was passed with one dissentient.

ANOTHER BUN? MAKE HITLER A GOOD BOY. LONDON, February 2. Only the League of Nations can transfer a mandate, subject to the consent of the mandatory Power, and of the inhabitants of the territory concerned. This is Whitehall's view of the German claim for restoration of colonies. "Thank you for nothing, Mr. Hitler!" is the heading on a "Daily Express" article, which says: "The German dictator has demanded his lost colonies back. Now he will get the answer of the democracies holding them. The answer is 'No." "The plain fact is that, even if we wanted to hand back the German colonies we could only make a partial surrender. It is not Britain who governs South-West Africa. It is the Union of South Africa. Great Britain, Australia and New administer Nauru and New Guinea. New Zealand manages Samoa. AH have made it abundantly clear that they are not letting go their mandates. "Japan, Hitler's new-found friend in the Far F.ast, is also sitting tight. So if Hitler is to be given another bun to make him a good boy, it i« Britain who will have to provide it. Shall we give him. Tanganyika, breaking the all-red line from Cairo to the Cape? We have seen Italy in Abyssinia. We see open intervention by both in Spain. Are we going to assist in throwing these great hungry Powers athwart our communications with our own Empire 1"