A REVERSAL

Grey River Argus, 16 June 1936, Page 5

A REVERSAL

SANCTIONS POLICY BRITISH DECISION Italy’s Help Needed GERMANY’S STIFFENED ATTITUDE. (Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.l (Received .Tune 15. at 9.15 p.ni.) LONDON, .tune I t. The recent speech to a Conservative Partv gathor'ng of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mr Neville Chamberlain. advocating the ending of the Sanctions, as against Italy remains .-till the focal point of the discussion rm the Sanctions issue.

Th,. “Daily Telegraph’s” diplomatic correspondent, commenting on ‘.he surprise caused by the fact of Air Chamberlain being the first responsible Minister to ventilate, the'subject, savs: “Mr Chamberlain was anxious to take the earliest opportunity of connfer'ng Lord Cecil’s latest “belligerent ] aeifi’t” campaign. Tin*, correspondent adds; Cabinet Mini.-ters already have agreed on the main aims of the British Policy, which is towards securing the early end of the Sanct’ons experiment. and to securing renewed collaborations with Italy in order to restore European confidence. The Ministers are increasingly convinced that Britain must assume the responsibiTty of proposing the abolition of Sanctions, which, it is believed, Mr Eden (Foreign Minister) now favours.

“France has ntimated to Britain her view that the Sanctions should be ended in order to enable an immediate start to be made with largo;* endeavours for the pacification of Europe.

AL I,eon Blum, the French Premier, is a strict doctr'naire internationalist, fie is reluctant, that the French Government should take the public initiative in the matter. He desires to limit himself to promise of French support for British action. AToreovor, M. Blum’s Ministers are absorbed in France’s domestic problems. So far. tiny clear idea of thoir views on European peace security has not been obtained. “Accordingly, London shares the views prevailing in Rom'e, and in Berlin. which are echoed in the smaller

capitals. Their views are that her internal difficulties at present render Franco as negligible in the European equation. This is greatly regretted in London, as being largely responsible for stiffening of the German attitude. It also strengthens the v'ew that the great European issues demand Italy’s renewed co-operation in the Locarno Powers’ task, following on the German re-occupation of the "Rhineland. RUGBY. June 13.

Newspapers give considerable prominence to the discussion aroused by the speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer at a politial dinner on Wednesday evening, in which the Prime Minister subsequently explained in the Commons. lie put forward suggestions with regard to ending the League. Sanctions, which weie “prov’sional reflections on the ItaloEthiopian dispute which occurred to him (Air. Chamberlain) personally.” Despite Air. Baldwin’s additional cpmment that, the Government had as yet reached no conclusion® on the matters discussed by Air. Chamberlain in what was practically an impromptu address to “an exclusive and politically educated audience’’ there is vigorous speculation :n the Press as to the relations of the Chancellor’s

observations to the policy of the Bnt'sh delegation at, Genieva, when the Council meets on June 2G. the writers tending to anticipate the Government’s decision according to their individual hopes or fears. A number of questions will be addressed to the Foreign Secretary in the Commons, on Afondav. arising out of the Chancellor’s reported remarks, and in Parliamentary'circles there is a growing feeling that it will he found convenient to have an early debate in the Commons, on foreign affairs. Journalists in touch with State Parliamentary business, mostly fix on June 22. as the likelv date for the debate, but others anticipate an earlier

date. Air, Chamberlain’s speech of las Wednesday, was crßicised by the Leader of tho Opposition (Mr. Attlee). speaking at Oxford, and also by Lord Davies, addressing a demonstration in South Wales.