CABINET CRISIS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 August 1924, Page 5

CABINET CRISIS

BRITISH LABOUR PARTY. DIFFERENCES OYER TREATIES. TALK OF EARLY ELECTION. 8T CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT LONDON, Aug. 21. Although Mr Philip Snowden repudiates the idea that his public declaration of being profoundly dissatisfied at the London agreement, because it did not provide for the immediate evacuation of the Ruhr, means a split in the Cabinet, it is known that the friction between him and the Premier (Mr Ramsay MacDonald) reached a crisis. Mr Snowden, as Chancellor, ranged himself besjde - the hard-headed bankas who do not share Mr MacDonald’s idealism, and are unlikely to subscribe to the German loan unless the Ruhr is evacuated, giving Germany economic • Mr Snowden is also opposing Mr MacDonald’s Anglo-Soviet agreement, and will not countenance the - Exchequer guaranteeing a loan. Russia has learned that Mr Olvnes and Mr Thomas 1 also oppose "the Anglo-Soviet agreement, which is the outcome of Mr MacDonald’s eleventh hour intervention in the negotiations. Mr MacDonald did not inform his Ministerial colleagues as to what he had committed the Cabinet until the Yagi'eement was an accomplished fact. Ministers resent Mr MacDonald’s assumption of independent powers, and Labourites are afraid that the House Commons will reject the agreement and force an early election on the Soviet issue, a course that would be disadvantageous to them, instead of the Government choosing its own time and s®j®ctnig a favourable election cry. The Daily Express says that important revelations relating to the proposed an co-German treaty were made by Mr Ramsay MacDonald following the telegram to the Daily Exm’ess regarding commercial treaty. “Our departments concerned have been instructed,” said Mr MacDonald, to prepare reports, and M. Herriot rench Premier) has undertaken to communicate to me the proposals he makes to Germany for mv observation.” The Daily Express adds: It is now that Mr MacDonald shares Mr Snowden’s view that the treaty proposa! constitutes a serious threat to -British trade. le Stench delegates submitted their tentative proposals to the Germans last week every effort was made to keen them secret. The British Government was not officially informed thereof, and Mr MacDonald scored aii important point by securing M. Herriot s promise to communicate the actual proposals. The Council of the London Chamber ol Commerce passed resolutions disnptreatv” P ro P ose< l Anglo-Russian