AN ANGRY MEMBER

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 16 January 1929, Page 9

AN ANGRY MEMBER

DETENTION OF DELEGATES.

SIR A. CHAMBERLAIN BLAMED. AN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION. United Press Association—By Electric Telegrapo Copyright.) (Australian Press Association.) Received 11.50 a.m. to-day. LONDON, Jan. 15. “Austen Chamberlain is to blame for this,” declared Mr Saklatvala, one of the party of British members of Parliament who were detained in Belgium. “We were given the option of spending the night on the quayside, in tlie police .lock-up, or in a hotel. We chose the latter. I protest strongly against the unconstitutional methods by which armed men forcibly took our passports, railway tickets, and baggage, and I will insist on being allowed to proceed to Germany. The British Foreign Office must have influenced tlie Belgian Foreign Office. We have been fighting for open seaports, and shall now fight for open railroads.”

Following a full examination of the papers, . Messrs Saklatvala, Maxton and Bridgeman were permitted to continue their journey to Cologne. The Ministry of justice announces that they were detained because their papers were not in order and because it wots belieed that a meeting of the League of Anti-Imperialism was to he held in Belgium.