BRITISH CABINET RIFT

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 127, 23 February 1938, Page 11

BRITISH CABINET RIFT

House Of Commons Crowded To Hear Reason For Resignations MR. EDEN GREETED WITH CHEERS Prime Minister Gives Indication Of Future Foreign Policy By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, February 21. The House of Commons was so crowded when it assembled at 3 p.m. to hear the explanation of the resignation of the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Anthony Eden, that many members had to sit in the gallery. Mr. Winston Churchill and Mr. David Lloyd George were present. The latter, who was cheered, had specially returned from the south of France to join in the attack on the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain. When Mr. Chamberlain entered later there were cheers from the Ministerial benches and some booing from the Opposition. Mr. Eden and Viscount Cranborne, Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs, who has also resigned, took their seats amid tremendous cheering, which drowned the voice of a Minister answering a question.

MR. EDEN’S SPEECH

Moment For Country To Stand Firm PEACE OBJECTIVE Foundations Of Mutual Respect Wanted London, February 21. Mr. Eden was greeted with prolonged cheers as he rose at 3.50 p.m. from a seat, in a corner of the Chamber. Speaking slowly and obviously under stress, he said: “This occasion is a very painful one for me, both personally and politically, but in times of strong political convictions we must override all other considerations, of which only the individual himself can judge. No one can be the keeper of another’s conscience.” (Cheers.) “The ultimate aim of us all, and the objectives of British foreign policy, must always be the maintenance _of peace, but if peace is to be enduring it must rest on foundations of frank reciprocity and mutual respect. But the method whereby we seek that end must, in fact, strengthen and not undermine the foundation on which international confidence rests. We must be ready to negotiate with all countries, whatever their forms of government, in order to promote international understanding.” Italian Attitude to Britain. After a reference to “certain exchanges of views’’ between Britain and Italy regarding the opening of conversations. betweep the two Governments, Mr. Eden continued: “The immediate issue is whether such official conversations should be opened now. "It is my conviction that the attitude of the Italian Government to International problems in general and to this country in particular is not yet such as to justify this course. (Opposition cheers.) Propaganda against Britain by the Italian Government is rife all over the world. I myself pledged this House not to open conversations with Italy until this hostile propaganda ceases.

“Although much is promised, litfle progress has been made in solution of the Spanish problem. I do not suggest that I advocate that the Government should refuse conversations with the Italian Government or with any other Government which may show any disposition to conversations with us for betterment, of international understanding, but we must be convinced of the likelihood of success of any such conversations. I do not think those conditions exist to-day.

“In January last year we signed an Anglo-Italian agreement, but almost simultaneously the first considerable consignment of Italian battalions to Spain occurred. The Prime Minister and Signor Mussolini exchanged letters last summer, and for a few days relations between Britain and Italy were marked by a turn for the better. Then ensued incidents in the Mediterranean and the glorification by the head of the Italian Government of the victorious Italian forces in Spain. “My submission is that we cannot risk a further repetition of this experience. Therefore it is my contention that before the Government opens official conversations with Rome we must make further progress on the Spanish problem. We must agree not only on the need for withdrawal and conditions for the withdrawal of volunteers. We must show the world not only the promise, but achievement. "Should Stand Firm.” "Recent mouths, recent weeks, and recent days have seen the successive violation of international agreements and attempts to secure political decisions forcibly; In the light of the present inter'national situation, this is a moment for this country to stand firm. (Loud and prolonged cheers.)

“Agreements that are worth while are never made on a basis of threat, nor in the past has Britain been willing to negotiate on such conditions. It is seldom right to depart from the traditional method of diplomacy, Which is to prepare for conversations before they are formally opened. It is certainly never right to do so because one party to the negotiations intimates that it is now or never.’’ Mr. Eden added that this was not an isolated issue between the Prime Minister and himself. "Within the past few weeks,” he said, “upon one of the most important decisions of foreign policy which did not concern Italy at all, our difference was fundamental.” He added that if his colleagues were right their chances of success would be enhanced if their policy was pursued by a Foreign Secretary with complete conviction in the methods he was being asked to employ.

“It recently became clear to me, and I think to the Prime Minister, that there was between us a real difference of outlook and method. It may be argued that this is not a difference in fundamental principles in the sense that the objective of all foreign policy is the maintenance of peace. That is true, but in international affairs can

anyone define where outlook and method end and principle begins?’.'

“Too Keen to Make Terms.” liaising hig voice, Mr. Eden declared ? “The Prime Minister has strong views on foreign policy. I respect him for them, and I have strong views, too. These views have resulted in a divergence not of aim but of outlook and approach. It is clearly in the national interest that unity should be restored at the earliest possible moment The conviction has steadily grown upon me that there is a too keen desire on our part to make terms with others rather than that others should make terms with us. “I do not believe we can make progress in European appeasement, more particularly in the light of the events of the past few days, if we allow the impressoin to gain currency abroad that we yield to constant pressure. lam certain that progress depends above all on the temper of the nation and that that temper must find expression in a firm spirit. I am confident that that spirit is there. Not to give voice to it is, I believe, fair neither to this country nor to the world.” (Loud cheers.) LORD CRANBORNE No Surrender To Blackmail

Viscount Cranborne, Under-Secre-tary of Foreign Affairs, said he Jiad resigned because he was in the fullest agreement with Mr. Eden on a matter of fundamental principle. To enter into official conversations with Italy would be regarded not as a contribution jo peace but as a surrender to blackmail. (Cheers.) Unless nations were able to trust one another agreements were valueless. PREMIER’S REPLY Resignations Came As A Shock FOREIGN POLICY Need To Allay Italian Suspicions London, February 21. The Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, in moving the adjournment to enable discussion, said that Mr. Eden’s resignation came as a shock. None of his colleagues anticipated that there was any danger of such an event until ar few days ago.

When last week a section of the Press was declaring that there were serious differences 'he was under the impression that there was complete agreement. The Government did not feel that there were differences on the immediate question sufficiently important to make Mr. Eden’s resignation necessary.

“My foreign policy,” said Mr. Chamberlain, “is based on three principles—protection of British interests and the lives of nationals, the maintenance of peace and the settlement of differences peacefully and not by force, and the promotion of friendly relations with other nations which are willing to reciprocate and keep the rules of international conduct, without which there can be neither security nor stability.” Mr. Chamberlain said he did not believe it was Impossible, with good will and determination, to remove genuine grievances', for which the Government had been seeking an Opportunity for conversations with Italy and Germany to find whether there was any common ground on which they might build up a genuine scheme of European appeasement. Different Mentality Abroad. After referring to the gentlemen’s agreement with Italy in 1937 and the exchange of personal letters with Signor Mussolini last year, he said : “Unfortunately certain incidents occurred in the Meditteranean which in the British Government’s opinion rendered it impossible that conversations at that time could have any chance of success.” It could not be denied that during the months since the original interchange of letters with Signor Mussolini Anglo-Italian relations had seriously and steadily deteriorated. “It has always seemed to me,” he said, “that In dealing with foreign countries we do not give ourselves a chance of success unless we try to understand their mentality, which is not always the same as our own. “I am informed that all this time when it appeared that obstacles to conversatUas had arisen entirely from Italian action exactly the opposite view was held in Rome. AU this time suspicion was growing in Rome that we did not want conversations at all and were engaged in a Machiavellian design to lull the Italians into inactivity while we completed our re-armament programme with the intention presently of taking revenge for the conquest of Abyssinia.

“It was in the steadily worsening atmosphere overhanging relations with Italy that a fresh opportunity arose to break from the vicious circle when Count Grand!, after talks, called at the Foreign Office and said the Italian

Government wag ready at any time to open conversations. “In all this the Foreign Secretary spoke for the Government as a whole. I have always taken the view that the question of forfnal recognition of the Italian position in Abyssinia can be morally justified only if it is found to be an essential factor in general appeasement. (Opposition cries of “Shame. It will never be.”) That was the view- of aril of us, including the Foreign Secretary.

Italian Suspicions.

'"Count Grandi said that his Government desired the conversations to be as wide as possible, embracing formal recognition of the conquest of Abyssinia and not excluding Spain. The Government replied that they were bound to act as a loyal member of the League, and that the attitude of the League, especially the Mediterranean Powers, would be considerably influenced if Britain and Italy reached an agreement which was a real contribution to general appeasement. The. Foreign Secretary emphasised that this was a factor which would be of great weight with public opinion in Britain, France, - the Mediterranean and the United States.” Expressing the view that Mr. Eden in one point was not quite fair, Mr. Chamberlain continued: “He represented to the House that the Italian Government called on us to enter into conversations now or never and that we were being asked fo submit to a threat. There was nothing in any communication from the Italian Government which in my judgment can justify that description.”

He added that Mr. Eden had asked him not to commit the Government to anything specific in the conversations with Count Grandi and that he had abstained from anything of that kind. It was after the talks with Count Grandi that the differences between Mr. Eden and himself first became acute.

“I was convinced that a rebuff to the Italian desire for conversations would be regarded by Italy as confirming the suspicions that we were never really in earnest about conversations. If that were the impression the result would be disastrous. It would be followed by intensification of anti-British feeling in Italy, rising to a point at which ultimately war between us might become inevitable. Mr. Eden, on the contrary, wanted to wait for a substantial withdrawal of volunteers, but made it clear that objections would still remain even if acceptance of the British formula for withdrawal was obtained from Italy. Italy Accepts British Formula. The Prime Minister disclosed that, Count Grandi that morning had conveyed a message from the Italian Government. accepting the British formula concerning the withdrawal of foreign volunteers from Spain. Amid jeers from the Opposition, Mr. Chamberlain was understood to add, "and the granting of belligerent rights.”

Opposition members several times interrupted Mr. Chamberlain as he added: “The Ambassador intimated that the communication was a gesture on the part of the Italian Government indicating the spirit of good will in which it wished to begin conversation!;.”

Mr. Will Thorne (Labour) interjected : They knew Mr. Eden had gone. Mr. Chamberlain said Count Grandi informed him that the communication was received from Rome on February 20. “That was before Mr. Eden resigned,” said the Prime Minister amid Ministerial cheers. The Prime Minister said he told Count Grandi that settlement of the Spanish question must be regarded as an essential feature of any agreement, and added that he was not there to say the actions of Italy in the past had been satisfactory; he was concerned with the future. There was good hope that with good will the negotiations would be brought to a conclusion successfully. r “We are seeking a general appeasement throughout Europe. Peace in Europe must depend on the attitude of the four Powers, Italy’ and Germany, and Britain and France. Are we to allow these two pairs of nationsto continue clamouring at one another across the frontier, allowing feeling to become more and more embittered until at last the barriers are broken down and a conflict begins which many think would mark the end of civilisation, or can we bring them to an understanding of one another’s aims and objects and such discussions as may lead to a ' final settlement? If we can do this we shall have saved the peace of Europe for a generation.”

EUROPEAN VIEWS

Victory For Mussolini And Hitler London, February 21. The Berlin correspondent of the British United Press says that it is believed that Herr Hitler’s references to democracies would have been less tart if he had known of Mr. Eden’s’ resignation. It is felt that there is now a bet- 1 ter chance of an English and German understanding. The Berlin correspondent of “The Times” states that every German _ is certain that Mr. Eden’s resignation was a direct result of Herr Hitler’s attack. The Rome correspondent of the “Dally Telegraph” says the resignation is regarded as a victory for Signor Mussolini, because the Non-Interven-tion Committee will thrash out the removal of volunteers from Spain, while the Anglo-Italian conversations for a settlement on wider questions can proceed. Moreover, it is thought Mr. Chamberlain will be an easy negotiator.