CHANCELLOR'S VIEW OF SANCTIONS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21808, 13 June 1936, Page 15

CHANCELLOR'S VIEW OF SANCTIONS

QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY MR BALDWIN (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) RUGBY, June 11. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Neville Chamberlain) was reported in to-day’s newspapers as having severely criticised, in a speech at a political dinner in London, suggestions that league sanctions, imposed after the Italian resort to war in East Africa, should be continued following the collapse of Abyssinia, or even intensified. These reports were the subject of a question addressed bv private notice to the Prime, Minister (Mr Stanlev Baldwin) in the House of Commons this afternoon by the leader of the Labour Opposition (Major C. R. Attlee), who asked whether Mr Chamberlain’s speech represented the policy of the Government. Mr Baldwin replied that the Chancellor of the Exchequer had informed him that the suggestions which he had put forward were definitely stated by him to be provisional reflections on the Italo-Abys-sinian dispute which had occurred to him personally. Major Attlee then asked if the views expressed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer were the considered views of the Government. The Prime Minister answered that jio conclusions on these matters had yet been reached. Pressed by the leaders of both sections of the Opposition to say if the expression of his private views by the Minister was consistent with tradition and constitutional usage, and was not embarrassing to other Ministers, Mr Baldwin replied: “I make no complaint myself of what the right honourable gentleman said.” [Mr Neville Chamberlain was reported to have said at a political dinner on Thursday that a continuation of the policy of sanctions would only lead to further misfortunes. Referring to the claim by Viscount Cecil of Chelwood that it was still possible to preserve Abyssinia’s independence by pursuing sanctions, Mr Chamberlain said: “That seems to me midsummer madness . . . sanctions have been tried and have failed.”]

NO FAITH IN SANCTIONS (Received June 12, 8.3 p.m.) LONDON, June 11. Believing that sanctions should be abandoned, the Duchess of Atholl has resigned from the League of Nations Union.