THE ALLIES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 August 1924, Page 5

THE ALLIES

GOOD HEADWAY. LITTLE TROUBLE EXPECTED. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION-COPYRIGHT LONDON, Aug. 5. In the House *of Commons, Mr Lloyd George (Liberal) requested further information regarding a number of serious points in connection with the inter-Allied conference, notably whether the report was true that France would remain in the Ruhr for two years. He declared: “It is important to know, not only whether we are going to evacuate Cologne, but whether another Power is going to send troops there, and thus make matters much worse.” He asked whether France still claimed the right to take separate action. The Prime Minister (Mr Ramsay MacDonald) replied that he would consult Parliament in the event of a serious question arising at subsequent sittings of the conference, but he anticipated that no serious question would arise and that any agreement reached would lie acceptable to Parliament. Consequently the House might go on holidays and leave the conference to do the work. He argued that the safeguards were so complete that if at any stage the question of sanctions was reached there would probably be unanimity on the matter. As regards the military evacuation of the Ruhr, Mr MacDonald said he did not believe French public opinion would be blind to the obligations placed on it by the declaration of its own Government. Mr MacDonald declared that no British soldier would remain in Cologne a minute longer than was necessary to carry out the obligations imposed on us by the peace treaty.