CHESTER CONCESSIONS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 21 July 1923, Page 7

CHESTER CONCESSIONS.

DENIAL BY UNITED STATES

BY CABLE—PBES3 ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT

Received July 21, 9.5 a.m.

WASHINGTON, July 19. The State Department, -answering the National Popular Government League's questions concerning the Chester concession, denied that the concessionaires had been given moral political assurances that, in the event of a dispute, the United States Government would be bound to. defend the validity of the concession. The reply asserts that the United States Government took no part in the negotiations, and ■concerns itself only with the maintenance of the open door. The League's membership includes eminent educators, lawyers, labour leaders and publicists, all of whom regard this denial as the most sweeping and explicit which the Sta^e Department has I yet made. The Fresich-American arbitratiou treaty of 1908 has been renesred for another period of five years.

Rev. J.. McNeill, of Gonville Presbyterian Church, has accepted a call to the Nelson Presbyterian Church.