SYMPATHY FOR HOARE

Evening Post, Issue 149, 20 December 1935, Page 7

SYMPATHY FOR HOARE

ACTION APPLAUDED

HONOURABLE TRADITION

(Received December 20, noon.)

LONDON, December 10. Sir Samuel Hoare's resignation is the climax to, dissent which is expressed over, the proposals which were advanced following the HoareLaval interview as offering a basis for negotiating settlement of the Halo-Abyssinian dispute. It had become evident that the apparent acceptance by the British Government of these proposals was with a growing tide of resentment iii Parliament and the country, and that Cabinet itself was divided. Sir Samuel floare's decision to resign in order to ease the critical situation for which he was at least nominally responsible is applauded in the newspapers, and "The Times" says: "The Foreign Secretary has decided to conform with the honourable tradition of British

public life that the Minister most closely associated, if only technically, with an abortive step should resign office. There will be general sympathy with Sir Samuel Hoare, who has to suffer for failing to prevent and for failing to modify the Paris proposals. ERROR INEXCUSABLE IN MINISTER. "The Times" says: "Sir Samuel Hoarc's decision was the inevitable consequence of an error excusable in a man but not in a Minister. By his resignation he has accepted responsibility for the peace proposals, which in any case were doomed." The "Daily Telegraph" says: "The resignation is a lamentable interruption of a most honourable career, yet we are convinced that the best public opinion will agree that he has come to the right decision." The political correspondent of .the "Daily Telegraph" says that Sir Samuel Hoare's resignation followed a call by Mr. Neville Chamberlain conveying at Mr. Baldwin's request an expression of strongly critical views voiced at the morning meeting of Cabinet, which examined a statement from Sir Samuel Hoare, also a rough draft of Sir Samuel Hoare's speech to be given in the House of Commons. Mr. Neville Chamberlain, it is understood, pointed out to Sir Samuel Hoare that if he attempted to justify his proposalr a number of Ministers would resign, and it was suggested that Sir Samuel might redraft his speech differently, but he refused, preferring instead to tender his resignation. OFFICIAL MAY RESIGN. The "Morning Post's" political correspondent says that the resignation of Sir Robert Vansittart, Permanent TJnder-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, is also expected. He was with Sir Samuel Hoare in Paris when the latter provisionally assented to the peace plan, and adds that the last stages of the crisis were forced by the revolt of Liberal-National Ministers, supported by a number of National Labour and Conservative Ministers. The Liberal Ministers plainly intimated that unless the Government repudiated Sir Samuel Hoare and his peace plan in today's debate, they would themselves resign. The "Manchester Guardian" says that the circumstances causing Sir Samuel Hoare's resignation had become irresistible. He had to go. A third of the members of Cabinet were threatening to resign if the peace plan were not repudiated. AVOIDING A TRAP. The "Daily Mail," in a leader, regards the resignation as precipitating a political crisis of the first magnitude, adding that Sir Samuel Hoare's departure would be widely regretted. If his resignation meant that the peace proposals were- rejected owing to pressure on Ministers to throw him over, utter confusion would result. If Mr. Baldwin abandoned the peace plan the nation would be back in a trap which only the wildest fanatics could desire. ,