IN THE COMMONS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 281, 12 November 1929, Page 7

IN THE COMMONS

RESUMPTION OF ANGLORUSSIAN RELATIONS

CORRESPONDENCE WITH DOMINIONS. FURTHER QUESTIONS ASKED. (United Press Association—By CableCopyright., (Received 12, 12.25 p.m.) London, Nov. 11. In the House of Commons, the Rt. Hon. Ramsay MacDonald, asked if he intended to Issue a White Paper giving the correspondence with the Dominions on the subject of resumption of Anglo-Russian relations, said that he had no special specific objection to publishing the correspondence, but it belonged to a class which, in the public interest, every Government was agreed should not be published. Sir W. Mitchell Thomson: If the Dominions publish it will the Government do the same? Mr. MacDonald : I cannot answer hypothetical questions. Sir J. S. Allen: How do you define secret diplomacy? Mr. MacDonald did not reply. Captain Crookshank inquired if the Soviet had agreed to the Dominions’ request that the guarantees against propaganda should bo applicable to them. The Hon. Arthur Henderson: No. Replies from the Dominions were only received on November 5 and I have not yet had an opportunity, to take up the question with the Soviet. Captain Crookshank: Will you postpone further negotiations until you get an assurance on this point o Mr Henderson: Oh, no. Captain Crookshank: T hen will they be able to carry on propaganda in the Dominions but not here? The Minister did not reply. Mr. Henderson, in further replies, stated that the procedure for the discussion of matters between the Dominions and the Soviet would be decided by the Dominions, all of whom had expressed their readiness to make reciprocal undertakings regarding propaganda similar to Britain’s. No Dominion had. sug gested that Britain should net on its behalf in the negotiations with the Soviet and other matters.

APPROVAL OF BRITISH POLICY Captain Crookshank: Does that mean that the Dominions do not approve of the British policy? Mr. Henderson: Quite the reverse He added that he did not expect to hear from the Soviet in reference to his own statement that the Government would hold the Soviet respqn sible for the actions of the 1 bird International. Lord Titchfield: Since ypur statement. has not the Commintern declared that it will continue antiBritish propaganda? Mr. Henderson said he was unaware of any such official statement. He had read statements in the Russian press, but he did not attach the same importance to them as to statements in the British press. RIGHT OF APPEAL TO PRIVY COUNCIL. Mr. A. Ponsonby told a questioner that he had not received any communication from the Dominions in relation to the right of appeal to the Privy Council. Sir W. Davison: Have you not seen a statement that the Irish Free State does not recognise the Privy Council’s right to set aside Irish Courts’ judgments? There was no answer. Mr. W. R. Smith, in 'answer to a question, stated that during the four months from June 1, 5630 British subjects had left Britain to take up permanent residence in Australia, compared with 7947 in the same period of 1928.