THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19665, 8 July 1929, Page 9

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

I FOREIGN POLICY. COMMENT BY SIR AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN. MR HENDERSON REPLIES. ißsrnsH ojnciAi, wireless.) (Received July 7th, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, July 5. '"' In the House of Commons to-day, »hen the debat* on the Address-in-Beply was continued, Sir Austen Chamberlain (Conservative) aeked the Foreign Secretary, Mr Arthur Ilendertoa, whether ho could make any anjsouncement regarding the conversations •nd negotiations in progress between the British Minister in China and the representative of the Nanking Government. Beferring to the negotiations with America, Sir Austen said: "The statement by Mr Hugh Gibson and the mention of the new 'yardstick' which the President of the United States has introduced into the discussions, seem to us full of hope and a good augury for the future, and we earnestly desire that the negotiations should come to successful termination. I believe myself we can best contribute to that result by refraining from interfering by public discussion at this stage in matters which must be treated privately in the first instance, if they are to produe* good results. I therefore confine ■yself to wishing the Prime Minister success in the task which he has before him." Sir Austen urged the Government not to act with undue haste in the matter of the signature of the Optional Clause of the World Court statute, or without having given full attention to the various difficult questions to which it Inevitably gave rise. Britain was doubly sad trebly committed to a peaceful settlement of international disputes. Inferring to the Ehineland evacuation, he said that he would welcome it, hut it must be a general evacuation. He welcomed the adherence of Mr Mac Donald to his former Note to Russia against hostile propaganda, and denounced t e resumption of relations until that propaganda had ceased. Position In China. Replying, Mr Henderson said that he was in wholehearted agreement with most of what Sir Austen Chamberlain had said. With regard to the recent conversations between the British Minister at Pekin and the Chinese authorities on the question of a commercial treaty between the two countries, there had been considerable divergence of view as to what the Treaty should contain. The Chinese Government had agreed to the appointment by both sides of experts who should see how far common ground could be reached. With reference to the rendition of Wei Hai Wei, the British Minister proposed that negotiations should proceed on the basis cf tho 1924 agreement and the Chinese Foreign Minister had put forward modifications and amendments which would require careful consideration. As to tho Boxer indemnity, the Chinese had ■uggested that the indemnity funds should be applied to the rehabilitation •f the railway, and that any interest accruing therefrom should be used as aa endowment for educational purposes. . Proposals submitted by Sir Miles Lampion were now the subject of consideration between the parties. With regard to extra-territorial rights, none of the Governments concerned had yet replied to the Note addressed to them on the subject by the Chinese Government. America and Europe. Coming to the American conversations, Mr Henderson said that beyond a shadow of doubt the first step to he taken both with regard to signing the optional clause, and on entering on normal relations with Russia, was to place the matter before the Dominions. The Government, he added, considered that Locarno and the Kellogg Peace Pact saght always to be taken into consideration in any move regarding the method by which they were going to stabilise tine peace of the world. With regard to the Rhineland, he thought that evacuation should take place at tho earliest possible moment. "I am convinced that it will not be In the interests of the peace of Europe if this evacuation is taken by degrees •nd stages,'* he said. "I think we •tight to try and got both the French ml the Belgian Governments to take this step with us. I have no reason to Wieve that any insuperable difficulty Is ping to be placed in the way either hy Prance or Belgium to complete •Tarnation. The House may feel assured that everything we can do, all \ thtt moral force "we can bring to bear, •spwlally at the coming conference 1 wMeh deals with tho Experts' ReP ort > will he exerted to secure a speedy ana wuaimous decision in favour of evacuation." Attitude to Soviet. On the question of Russia, Mr Hes**n»R recalled the actual position of th* relations. He said: "His Majesty s Govwameat in the United Kingdoin aceorded'de jure recognition to the Gov•wment of Soviet Russia in 1924. From that time the Government of Soviet Smsk was entitled to be recognised as « Government of State, and is still so Nwomhwd by his Majesty's Government. It follows that the reciprocal rights and duties which International Law recogBiaea as incumbent on States in their relations to one another continue to subsilt between this country and Russia. Wlat the rapture of 1927 did was to swptad the normal machinery of diplomatic relations. It is that machinery *kfch now requires to be re-established. Ia this, he added, the Government was, he thought, supported by the great vol*m« of opinion in Britain. One or two replies had been received from the but the Government were not taking action until they had found out *nother they were going to receive any farther replies. Beferring to the anti-British maniv ft«*» ismed in March by the Third Communist International, to which refer- * ««• had been made bv Sir Austen Chamberlain, he said that they had n° •watiation with it, and would not *>e nflveneed by it. The Government had n »«le it clear that it was not going w tolerate Russian propaganda.