FOREIGN OFFICE NOT AWARE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22336, 25 February 1938, Page 13

FOREIGN OFFICE NOT AWARE

DETAILS ABOUT ITALIAN AGREEMENT DIRECT DEALINGS WITH MR CHAMBERLAIN (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received February 24, 2.30 p,m.) LONDON, February 23. It is known that Mr Chamberlain and the Foreign Office have reason to believe that Signor Mussolini is extremely anxious for an agreement with Britain, but details about it are not known, as is customary, by the Foreign Office. They were conveyed direct to Mr Chamberlain through an outside informant. MR EDEN TO SPEAK MORE MAY BE REVEALED LONDON, February 23. The Associated Press states that the Government is well satisfied with the defeat of last night’s motion of censure. The abstainers from voting did not exceed expectations, and Ministers to-day are in a much easier frame of mind. The situation is much more satisfactory in the House, but a long time will have to elapse before the affair has settled down throughout the country. The Labour members’ rhetoric and bitterness, coupled with the public’s profound distaste for the manner of Mr Eden’s exit, will inevitably be capitalised throughout the country in a campaign against the Government and in favour of Mr Eden. The next move will occur when Mr Eden speaks in his constituency of Warwick and Leamington on Friday. He is expected to reveal many points which he withheld from the debate. There is keen interest in a revelation of the inner history of the affair, as the resignation is considered to have involved subtle political intrigue. FRANCE MIGHT CONSIDER CONVERSATIONS BRITAIN’S SUCCESS WITH ITALY A CONDITION PARIS, February 23. The French Foreign Minister (M. Yvon Delbos) denies that he intended to resign. ' M. Delbos told the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies that if the Italian talks succeeded, France would consider similar discussions subject to certain guarantees, BRITISH CREDITS TO ITALY NO REQUESTS FROM FIRMS LONDON, February 23. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sir John Simon), replying to a question in the House of Commons, said that no request had been received from representatives of Italian firms in London for extensive credits with a Government guarantee. NEW FOREIGN SECRETARY ANNOUNCEMENT EXPECTED SOON LONDON. February 23. The Prime Minister told the Leader of the Opposition (Mr C. R. Attlee) in the House of Commons that he could not make any announcement about the new Foreign Secretary, but he hoped to do so shortly. . . , He undertook to bear m mind the objections to the Foreign Secretary not being a member of the House of Commons, to which Mr Attlee called his attention.