BRITISH CABINET

Hokitika Guardian, 19 September 1938, Page 5

BRITISH CABINET

HOLDS LONG MEET. •A FULL REPORT SUBMITTED. . {[United. Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). . r ; . LONDON, Sep' 17. The Cabinet rose at 5.45 :p,m. and will -meet again to-morrow. ‘ • : His Majesty went to Windsor from Buckingham Palace* j, ... i - At 6 p..m., CbuntrGrandi, the Italian Ambassador, called at the Foreign. l Office.. ,;T

The Australian Associated Press reports that' official •■circles in London were again completely silent, while the momentous Cabinet meeting dragged on hour after hour: Before the. lunch adjournment callers ‘At No. 10 Downing

Street included Mr Joseph"?. Kennedy, / the American Ambassador, Air Marshal Sir Cyril Newell, Chief of the Air Staff, and Lord Oadogkn, while Lord Runciman attended during the first hour of the meeting. Mr Chamberlain reported fully on his talks with Tlerr Hitler, who, according to German reports, de-

manded the secession of Sudetenland by October 1, otherwise he would march. These familiar tactics were temporarily Held up ' by Mr Chamberlain’s insistence that Britain and France woud not tolerate a settlement by force, but Mr Chamberlain’s suggestion to consider cantonal regional autonomy is now complicated by the Czech determination to oppose any weakening of sovereignty in Czechoslovakia or interference in its foreign policy. ...

lit is known, that Mr, ..Chamberlain is anxious , tp concludean ambitious programme for the; ..settlement of all European problems, including , Spain, but the desperate and irresponsible nature of. some of Herr Hitler’s advisors presents.'an almost , insuperable barrier.

/Df/.Hugh Dalton. Mr. Herbert Alor- \ risofi, and Sir Walter Citrine, representing the National Council ofi'Labour, placed .before Mr. Chamberlain after the Cabinet meeting tbeV.views of the

trade union movement oiT the crisis,

- Mr S. M. Bruce, Mr CUT. Te Water and Mr’ J: W. Duianty, the High Commissioners for Australia, South Africa, and Eire respectively,' called on the Dominions office in the evening to keep abreast of the situatiomr

y OUTCOME "NOT DISCLOSED.

'V -i ■■■■ . LONDON, Sep. 17. .’.The. outcome of the Cabinet'discussions'is. not dicloSed.' ?**»•> • •The resiilt of ' the • deputation from the ; :National Council of- Labour to Mr Chamberlain, will not be known until it report's to the national council on Monday.' f '

Meanwhile thousands throng AY'estifiinister Abbey to offer prayer. A striking* 5 incident was the entry’ - of two American sailors accompanied by British marines. • 1

German’ political’'‘circles are of the opinion that the sfluatibn has become worse, partly because of the formation of‘ the Sudeten volunteei- corps, in spite' of the fact that it is'based in Germany and not in v Czechoslovakia. Its" creation bouts Herr Kundt’s counsel to wait until the Chamberlain-Hitler conversations are completed, and constitutes. a party army on German soil. Another straw showing ;jjhe direction in which the <wind is blowing is the stoppage of German river services to Czechoslovakia. Czech-controlled services are/ maintained, hut the bulk of traffic is German-owned.., c Czechoslovakia regards most seriously the 'formation of a volunteer corps, which may compel .- special : Cabinet decisions leading to further complications. The position is not improved by the Czechoslovak Charge d’Affaires having protested to Berlin against , the Hen'leinist kidnapping of 18 uniformed Czech police frontier guards Their release is demanded. The Charge d’Affaires also renewed representations against' the arrest of Czechs living in . German towns; - It is felt that the week, beginning September 19, with the meeting of French and British ministers', may well prove more fateful than its predecessors.’

Meanwhile the Paris press is profoundly pleased by the announcement of the Frerich-British conference, which it is understood will principally’consider the' Sudenten’V demand through Herr Hitler for self-determination. FURTHER CABINET MEETING. (Received this day at 11 n-m.) LONDON. .September 18. Cabinet Ministers adjourned fo' lurtcheon; They’ will; resume, 1 at 3.1." p.m. PRAYING FOR PEACE. AT UNKNOWN WARRIOR S TOMB (Received tbis dav at 11 a.m.) LONDON’ September 18. ‘ So many people are praying at tlr' Unknown Warrior’s Tomb., that, it lias been decided to keep Westminster Abbey open day an'l night indefinitely-;.' ' * ' 4 FRENCH MOTHERS’ APPRECIATION. .. f v (Received, this day at 11 a.m.Y ■ , . , . PARIS. September 18. ' Mothers are circulating and urging the newspapers to publish, lists for the .signature of all mothers, thanking Mr

Neville Chamberlain for his peace intervention, and urging him to pursue his noble task.