BRITISH POLITICAL CRISIS

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 41, 16 February 1918, Page 7

BRITISH POLITICAL CRISIS

FURTHER DEBATE IN THE COMMONS

ANTI-WAR AMENDMENT DEFEATED

LONDON, 15th February. In ihe.jHouse of Commons, Mr. ©onar Law declared thalt he had no more interest in fcEe present than in the late Premier, and had nerved both loyally If thß House •were dissatisfied with the Government, its duty was to get another in which, it had confidence. If it were not, destructive criticism should cease. The position in Russia was obscure. He declined to say whether Russia was now an Allty or neutral, or an enemy. He announced that the manifesto issued .after the! Versailles Council represented the views of all the Allies. ,

Members with, .pacifist sympathies urged the Government to -withdraw the Paris Economic Conference resolutions, and also to redefine its wai»"aims, particularly in regard to Alsace-Lorraine. - ' Mr. J. A. Thomas (the railway men's secretary) said that it would: be the greatest danger if the country were compelled to negotiate for peace owing to pressure at home. The Labour Party -was determined that an international conference of the people would be held shortly. Some of the leaders were going to Paris to-morrow to arrange for the conference, and they .warned the Government not to attempt_ to stop them. ' '■ Lord Robert Cecil, closing the debate, hotly protested against the pacifists' demand that Britain should repudiate her treaties. /-' Mr. R. D. Holt's amendment, "regretting that by the decision of the Versailles War Council the only immediate task of the Government is the prosecution of the military effort," was rejected by 159 votes to 28. ,