THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19812, 27 December 1929, Page 9

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

DEBATE ON FINANCE. Kg CHURCHILL V. MR SNOWDEN. n ILKCTXIO XJS.IGRAJ •: LONDON. December 25. lB ,hc H'-w, ■ Commons. discussing * .nee V>"ms'>>n Churchill com- *—«» •» M ' philiP Snow-den Chancellor) since The f Pciiaratl ■us Conference, but the H*g ue r honour shown Mr 1 * th.- r.r,.- crapulous and dictaSS - 1 he became. The Chancellor had tonS anxious to cast the blame for his difficulties upon his predeMr •- •■wi.-n's record for t mst si.v n:>-ntlis, Mr Churchill * *3i out T l l.i- itT The Hague Mr I°* ten I*" rri-d out the policy ,_Mr "t 'iiurchili > had laid down kt, he was Chancellor. Certainly Mr Sowden had made a good fight at The Hajxue hut in sueh a ras P ln g and locative manner that possibly he had F t a good deal of his small gain. InJr* , jjg gave awav more than would happened under the preceding Government"* arrangement. It w as 3 mattt ' r * or serious criticism ttgt Mr Snowden had failed to take Xantage of the great opportunity to ,btaia liberation from the declarations hj, the Balfour Note, and the self-deny-j\ elauses that we should not take any more from Europe than was taken from ig for pavment of our debt to the raited States. It would have been his (Mr Churchill's) policy, if there had teen the slightest infringement, immeii»tely to claim release, Mr Snowden rtill had that opportunity at The Hague in January 6th. Alluding to the late Government's fiffieulties arising from the General Strike, Mr Churchill asked where was lb Snowden during the strike. He nnt into hiding. Mr Churchill intited Mr Snowden to say what was the letsal amount of the country's additional burdens which he had eountenlaeed in the last six months. The Chancellor was using the silk and McKenna duties as a wedge between the Opposition Parties, ift the hope of gainfeg a bridge of support for a future gadget. Mr Snowden did not care a asp of the finger that 20,000 additional taemployed might he treated. Mr Snowden said Mr Churchill need tot apologise for the length of bis tpeech, which was appropriate to the occasion, because this was only the Htaon of pantomime. (Laughter.) Mr Ctarchiil had said only eight months ago be proclaimed the sanctity of the Balfour Note, from which he said the eouatry would never be asked to be lelieved. If Mr Churchill had adopted lome of his (Mr Sno»-den's) rasping Winner in the negotiations with France aad Italy he might have obtained a irttlement more favourable to Great Britain. All Mr Churchill's difficulties arose before the strike, in remitting taxation for the benefit of his political friends, and raiding every reserve fund. It iras his (Mr Snowden's) lot to make «p Mr Churchill's deficiencies, £95,000,000 of liabilities which Mr Cinrehill could not meet from revenue, and also £30,000,000 due to his raids. TT«ij Mr Churchill's Budget been a computes balance-sheet he would have found himself in the dock. (Labour cheers.) There was also the task of pinking up £59,000,000, which Mr Churchill had short paid the sinking had, which must be restored if Great Britain's credit was to be maintained. Virtually the whole of the present *lßovernment's increased expenditure was -lae to his predecessor's commitments.

UNGAPORE BASE DISCUSSED.

LONDON, December 25. In the Singapore debate in the House •f Commons Mr George Lambert said Bo base could protect the east-to-west •ommerce, •which was bound to be paralysed in the event of war against Hpan. He hoped that work at the base toold be abandoned. "We signed the League Covenant and the Kellogg Pact, fit we are building a great battleship iase which is only preparation for a fatnre war." Bear-Admiral T. H. P. Beamish declared that the Government's action was asother instance of the policy of "aenttle and surrender to the pacifist tatcry." Singapore was as necessary as Gibraltar or Malta. He had no confidence in Mr Kamsay Mac Donald as Great Britain's representative at the Nival Conference. Commander A. R. J. Southby said Singapore would be a guarantee of World peace and a menace to nobody. Mr L. S. Amery contended that •ven if the Naval Conference led to a ttduction of the British Navy we would •till require Singapore. There must be power and the right to w-operate for every part of the Empire ia common affairs.