FOREIGN POLICY

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 140, 10 March 1938, Page 11

FOREIGN POLICY

Britain’s Attitude To

Dominions NO COMMENT INVITED Talks With Italy And Germany By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, March 8. 'The Australian Associated Press has gathered that the Prime Minister informed the Dominions of the trend of the conversations between Herr Hitler and Hie British Ambassador in Berlin and has also dispatched a general outline of the situation in connection with the Anglo-German conversations, which have also been discussed with the High Commissioners. There is at present, however, the agency states, no question of inviting comments by the Dominions on these or on the Anglo-Italian negotiations. Such a position will only arise when a stage lias been reached where commitments or obligations are involved. There was an uproar in the House of Commons when Mr. G. L. M. Mander (Liberal) asked the Dominions Secretary whether the Dominions had been consulted over the foreign policy changes. \ Amid Opposition cheers aud countercheers, Mr. Mander said: “Because fundamental differences have been disclosed and the Prime Minister has abandoned collective security, are the Dominions satisfied with this radical departure?”

Mr. Malcolm MacDonald replied: “From newspaper reports it would not appear that the Prime Ministers agree that there has been a fundamental departure in connection with foreign policy.” Mr. Mander said that, owing to the unsatisfactory reply, he would raise the whole question in the House of Commons at the earliest opportunity. Mr. Mander expressed dissatisfaction with Mr. MacDonald’s reply to the effect that the Dominid'u Prime Ministers had acquiesced in Mr. Chamberlain’s policy. Mr. Mander declared that such acquiescence was expressed because it was largely based on dispatches from Whitehall. Mr. Chamberla&i did not reply to Mr. A. V. Alexander (Labour), who asked whether, iu view of the importance of the matter, the Prime Minister would table copies of the telegrams which passed between the British Government and the Dominions regarding the talks with Italy and Germany. The Prime Minister, however, gave an affirmative reply to a question by Mr. A.. Jenkins (Labour), who asked if the Government’s action in relation to the Dominions was in accordance with last year’s consultations at the Imperial Conference.