THE OTTAWA SPLIT

Evening Star, Issue 21218, 27 September 1932, Page 6

THE OTTAWA SPLIT

—♦- LIBERAL MINISTERS EXPECTED TO RESIGN BUT WON'T 60 INTO OPPOSITION (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, September 26. (Received September 27, at noon.)’

A full attendance of Ministers is expected at Wednesday’s important meeting of Cabinet. Sir John Simon, in order to be present, left Geneva by train to-night, and will to-morrow; morning fly from Paris to London. Mr Baldwin, who returned from Ah# les Bains yesterday, had a long con* versation with, the Prime Minister today, and with several other colleagues., The business before Wednesday’s meeting will be the 'final discussion on the legislation arising out of the Ottawa Conference.

Much public interest is shown in! it, owing to the known attitude of the executive committee of the National Liberal Federation, which, passed a resolution condemning the agreements reached at Ottawa. At that meeting Sir H. Samuel referred to the provisional conclusions agreed to by himself and his Liberal colleagues in the Cabinet, and it is understood l that the nature of these conclusions has already been conveyed to the Prime Minister. It is generally assumed that the opposition of the Liberal Ministers to the Ottawa agreement is still maintained, and ‘The Times ’ says that apparently “ the only conditions on which the present composition of the Cabinet can be maintained during the World Economio Conference is that the legislation arising out of Ottawa should be postponed. This can hardly commend itself to a majority of the Cabinet,, and indeed provisional plans have already been made to start the Ottawa) legislation on October 18, when the House of Commons meets.” In these circumstances the newspapers anticipate that the Liberal Ministers will resign from the Cabinet,, as also will Lord Snowden. It is understood that if the Liberals resign they will not go into th© Opposition,, but will co-operate with tho National Government on all questions other than that of the Ottawa legislation. The Prime Minister is already assured of the continued support of Sir John Simon, Mr Runciman, and most of the other Liberal National Ministers,

HO DECISION REACHED j LONDON, September 20.(Received September 27, at 11.45 a.m.)] The meeting of followers in the House of Commons of Sir Herbert Samuel and Sir John Simon lasted one and a-half hours and adjourned without reaching a decision, but it is revealed that the Simon supporters still attach importance to their Liberalism and are unexpectedly re-< luetant to commit themselves to down-i right support of Mr MacDonald.