A BITTER CRITIC

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11954, 26 May 1933, Page 5

A BITTER CRITIC

SNOWDEN’S SURPRISE ATTACK .... QN EX-COLLEAGUE. SCATHING DENUNCIATION OF : ;i MACDONALD. •‘MENACE TO THE COUNTRY.” EITHER IGNORANT OR q INCAPABLE.

BRITAIN’S POLICY AT WORLD CONFERENCE DEMANDED. WAR DEBT WOEFULLY? BUNGLED. “ARE ,WE TO PAY OR TO DEFAULT?”,; (U.P.A. i>y : Elec: Tel. Copyright) LONDON, May 24. ‘ In the House of Lords, Lord Snowden, requesting a- statement of tho Government's policy at the World Economic Conference, made a surprise and unexpected attack upon Mr Ramsay MacDonald. He described the Primo Minister’s reply to a similar demand in the House of Commons as “absolutely staggering.”

“J. don’t know whether this is title to tfie Government having no policy,, or to Mr. MacDonald’s:constitutional inability to make a idear statement,” he said. “I suggest that tho Cabinet should look into tlic case of the Prime Minister. It is a positive danger to tho country that its affairs should bo in Hie hands of a man who, every time he; speaks, exposes his ignorance or incapacity.,” Referring to Mr. MacDonald’s visit to Washington, Lord Snowdon said Mr. MacDonald’s and Mr. Roosevelt’s joint statement was a mere repetition ,of platitudes. The Prime Minister might just have well have saved the country tho expense oi Jiis visit. The joint statement's references to commodity prices only showed ignorance of the nature .ol the problem. It dismissed excessive tariffs, quotas, and exchange restrictions, which were tho fundamental primary causes of the world, depression in less space than tlic silver question. What was to bu the Government policy at tlic World Conference 1 When a tariff trace was suggested for the duration of the conference, Mr. MacDonald only accepted it with reservations amounting practically to its rejection. While tho World Conference would begin by denouncing tariff’s, the British Government and its Tariff Advisory Committee would he engaged in preparing further increases of our tariffs.

• “Mr. MacDonald has suggested that tlic only tariffs to be reduced should lie those which are more than sufficient for national economic protection,” he continued. “Every tariff ill the world is regarded as necessary for national economic protection, and if the World Conference acted upon Mr. MacDonald’s principle it would be useless even to discuss the taiiff question. “The joint statement says not a word about the American debt question, which has been woefully bungled and mismanaged, especially last year. Mr. Hoover’s magnificent gesture would have been of great.benefit if the opportunity had”been take* during tlic moratorium to come to a definite settlement of tho difficult . question. Nothing has been done. Our next instalment is clue three -weeks hence. Are we going to pay or default? WAR DEBT REVISION RESTS . WITH CONGRESS.

The reason the joint statement

says nothing about tho debt is that it is a matter for Congress, which is very jealous of its rights. If Mr. Roosevelt made a- declara-

tion now. Congress would reject it. Mr. MacDonald has said that they arc going to talk about the debt,

but nobody is coming from America who is competent to deal "ith tile question. 1. do not believe that tho United States will make a- definite suggestion about debts until they see the outcome of the Dis-

armament Conference. If America

gets something out of that confeicncc, Mr. Roosevelt is likely to have the courage to approach Congress on the debt Question, and suggest that the gain from a reduction of armaments will be an offset to a reduction of the debt. NATIONAL BANKRUPTCY OR NEW TRADE CONDITIONS.

•‘We have -either to pay or default. I always viewed, with abhorrence the very idea of repudiation or default. Unless the British Government outers the coulercnce with a clear-cut, well-thought-out, practical plan, wo might abandon hope of any practical successful result.' Measures for reduction of tariffs or the stabilisation of currencies cannot be discussed or decided without considering the consequences of international debts, private and public. International indebtedness is by far the most formidable factor which had produced'the present crisis: The conference is inexorably inevitably doomed to failure unless debts arc taken into account.

“We are faced cither with cancellation and bankruptcy on a gigantic scale, or you must- restore conditions of trade permitting international lending to begin again. Those are the only conditions on which prosperity can bo restored.

LORD STAN HOPE REB UKES SNOWDEN QUESTION ONLY ANSWERED GENERALLY

WORLD SITUATION CRITICAL GOVERNMENTS COMPELLED TO OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES (U.'P. Ad by -Elec. -Tel. •Copyright) (Received May 25, 5.5>p.m) LONDON, May 24 Earl Stanhope, replying, said he- regretted Lord Snowdon’s, attack on his old friend and colleague,. Mr MacDonald. ■■ ‘ 1 We ,on . sthe . Government

benches”, he said, ‘‘show no sort of hostility to Lord Snowden. 1 hope tho attack on Mr MacDonald is only a temporary effervescenco just as Lord Snowden himself had to do before the Hague Conference.” Earl Stanhope said ho could only reply to Lord Snowdon’s request in gonoral terms. Tho conference would begin with great advantages. Its work had) been carefully prepared by the preparatory committee, and by Mr Roosevelt’s interviews with representatives of the various countries. The -Government had Been in touch with America and France in order to try 'to thrash out something which could be settled at blip conference. Tho : situation- of the world was so critical that governments would be compelled to overcome " difficulties which tho' proyious conference had found insuperable. .-