OVATION FOR PREMIER

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 52, 30 August 1939, Page 11

OVATION FOR PREMIER

SCENE IN COMMONS

WHITEHALL THRONGED

LONDON, August 29.

I The Prime Minister, Mr. Chamberlain, accompanied by Mrs. Chamberlain, both of them smiling, left Downing Street for the House of Commons at 2.35 p.m. amid cheers from a crowd thronging Whitehall. The House was packed with supporters in the gallery, and the Polish, American, and Brazilian Ambassadors were present. The Soviet Ambassador, M. Maisky, was not present.

Mr. Chamberlain, who was given an ovation, rose at 2.52 p.m., and concluded at 3.12 p.m. amid further cheering <

Before tlie opening of Parliament Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain strolled as usual in St. James Park, and they conversed with Lord Halifax and Lord Cadogan. There was intense activity in Whitehall, and crowds assembled early in Downing Street. Before lunch the callers at No. 10 included Lord Halifax, Sir Samuel Hoare, Mr. R. A. Butler, Sir Walter Monckton, and Sir Kingsley Wood. Callers at the Foreign Office included the French Ambassador and several other foreign diplomats. The King gave an audience to Sir Miles Lampson, the British 'Ambassador to Egypt.

The Commons adjourned at 4.40 p.m. until September 9, with, a provision for reassembling earlier if necessary. The Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, made a statement in the House of Lords on similar lines to that of Mr. Chamberlain, and the House later adjourned. It is reported from Rome that Signor Mussolini was informed of the contents of the British Note, and it is understood that he immediately sent his views on it to Herr Hitler.

As a typical example of Britain's response to the emergency, 350 Liverpool citizens were recruited within an hour today to man the anti-aircraft batteries, and hundreds of applications were turned away.