BRITISH POLITICS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 16 October 1922, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS

FOREIGN POLICY,

SPEECH BY MR CHAMBERLAIN,

LABOUR LEADER'S REPLY.

BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT

LONDON, Oct. 13. Mr Austen Chamberlain, speaking at Birmingham, referring to foreign policy, emphasised the neutrality of the Government as between the Greeks and the Turks. The Kemalists had been encouraged by some divergence in the Allied policy, and by their victory over the Greeks, to try conclusions with the Allies. Britain's main object had been to prevent Constantinople sharing the fate of Smyrna. The value of Lord Curzon's services in the matter could not be over-rated. Mr Asquith and Lord Grey of Felloden were always praising their diplomacy of other days, but the end of their skilful diplomacy, however, was a great war. The Allies hoped, and were encouraged by ex-President Wilson, to believe that America would take ah active part in the settlement of peace with Turkey. But they had been disappointed; Subsequent events, such as the non-ratification of the peace treaty of August, 1920, and the recall of Tino, profoundly affected the Government's policy; M. Bouillon, representing the French Government, visited Angora, and other events encouraged the Kemalist pretensions, and gave suggestion of a possible want of unity among the Allies, who, including the French, had previously agreed that any attack by either the Turks or the Greeks on neu- ■ tral zones should be forcibly repelled. The French military received instructions to withdraw, and Britain was confronted with a serious problem. The Government thereupon decided to maintain the freedom of the Straits until they were handed over to the League of Nations; thus the Straits had been preserved from danger, and a peace conference secured.

Referring to foreign policy,, he said we had been determined as far as lay in our power to prevent the war which devastated Asia Minor from spreading into JEur ope. He believed the Government's policy had been successful, but success was not due to any help received from the Opposition in the recent crisis. We had been the heirs of Mr Asquith's and Viscount Grey's policy. No question of principle divided the Liberal and Unionist colleagues at present. These were not the days for reviving differences, but for rallying all parties to the defence of the constitution and social economic order, whereon their safety and prosperity depended. He had no doubt when the new. House of Commons came into being it would be very different from the present House.

Mr J. R. Clynes (leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party), replying to Mr Austen Chamberlain in a speech at Reading, said Bolshevism was produced in Russia by the suppression of all popular liberty, and a rebellion can be fomented in Britain by Ministers seeking to put the Labour Party outside the pale of constitutional action. He said Mr Chamberlain's pronouncement was a Labour menace and would deepen class antagonisms. *' The Labour Party is as constitutional as any other political party," declared Mr Clynes. "It cannot always be blamed for decisions which the trade unions may reach on industrial questions. The trade unions recently threatened to advise a strike in order to prevent another war, but if the Ministers failed to use the League of Nations and kept Parliament closed in a time, of crisis they ought not to be surprised at a threat of strike action."