EMPIRE AWAITS KING EDWARD’S DECISION

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 63, 8 December 1936, Page 11

EMPIRE AWAITS KING EDWARD’S DECISION

Mr. Baldwin to Make Statement in House of Commons SPEECH MAY CONTAIN A SURPRISE Denial That His Majesty’s Choice is Being Hurried By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. (Received December 7, 8.55 p.m.) London, December 7. A meeting of Cabinet last night lasted for an hour and 40 minutes. It will result in a statement by Mr. Baldwin in the House of Commons to-day which may contain a surprise, possibly the revelation of something of what' the King said during consultations with the Prime Minister after the constitutional crisis arose. A private notice question from the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. C. R. Attlee, may lead to Mr. Baldwin disclosing His Majesty’s expressed intentions and more clearly indicating a solution. The Australian Associated Press agency learns on the highest authority that a story published in a Sunday newspaper that the King had .reached a decision and that the next step lay with Mr. Baldwin is only a clumsy guess. The position is still much as Mr. Baldwin outlined it in the House of Commons on Friday. .The suggestion that , the King is being hurried is equally unfounded, in view of the fact that His Majesty’s only request for information, related to the passage of a morganatic marriage law. The advice given in reply was as indicated by Mr. Baldwin. The King is being given all the time he requires to make up his mind, and Cabinet is awaiting his reply, lhere is no truth in repeated statements that His Majesty has rejected Cabinet’s advice. ’ All such conjectures are built up from Mr. Baldwin’s frequent audiences with the King, which ft is explained have been purely informal. No other Government advice has been given, and therefore no constitutional crisis in the broad sense of the term exists and no conflict has arisen, unless Cabinet’s reply to the question of morganatic marriage can be so described. This corrects Mr. Winston Churchill’s statement on Friday, which Government circles feel is based on a complete misapprehension as to the relations between the King and the Government. Prayers for the King were offered in all churches on Sunday, which was a day of puzzled expectancy pending the result of the evening’s Cabinet meeting, at which, however, no decision was reached regarding the issue between the King and the Government. A Cabinet meeting called for to-day was cancelled. Mr. Baldwin is remaining at Downing Street, and is not seeing the King to-night. “The Times,” in a leading article, deprecates irresponsible comments, and adds: “The problem raised by the King can be solved only by the King. Three false charges have been made against Mr. Baldwin and his colleagues, namely, that they presented the King with some form of ultimatum, that they influenced their Dominion colleagues and Opposition leaders to bring pressure to bear on the King, and that they are now pressing the King to renounce his project or abdicate. These charges are put forward under cover of a plea for time and patience. There can be no thought of hurrying the King’s choice, but he will be the first to see that a reasonably speedy answer is required. Until that decision is taken let there be a truce to insinuations against British and Dominions Ministers.”