BRITISH POLITICS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 157, 4 June 1929, Page 8

BRITISH POLITICS

CLEARING-UP PROCESS

MR BALDWIN’S DECISION

(United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Australian Press Association.) Received June 4, 2.5 p.m. LONDON, June 3. Mr Baldwin’s decision to resign was intimated to-night following a meeting at No. 10 Downing Street. The meeting was attended by all the members of the Cabinet except Earl Balfour. It was simply stated that Mr Baldwin intended to sec His Majesty at Windsor to-morrow and tender the resignations of the Ministry, hut it is noteworthy that almost immediately afterwards Lobbyists reported it as

Mr Baldwin’s, and not the Cabinet member’s decision, which, the Premier stated, ho had reached at Chequers during the week-end. He informed the Ministers of his decision in the afternoon, when lie gave liis reasons. The first consequence to he noted is the cancellation of Sir Austen Chamberlain’s arrangements to leave for Madrid to-morrow to attend the meeting of the League of Nations Council, which is being held in Spain in accordance with arrangements made when Spain returned to membership of the League. It is understood that the King will he strong enough to receive Mr Baldwin to-morrow. His Majesty will see Mr Ramsay MacDonald after Mr Baldwin.

The clearing of the political atmosphere is reflected in the stock markets, which recovered sharply to-day from the dullness attending tho indecision of last week. MR MACDONALD’S DUTY. DAILY NEWS’S COMMENT. (United Service.) Received June 4, 1.50 p.m. LONDON, June 2. The Daily News, in a leader on Mr Baldwin’s decision to resign, states:— “It is Mr MacDonald’s duty, after constituting the Cabinet, to produce a programme in which Liberal-minded members, who will not support Socialism, may co-operate to obviate an immediate Parliamentary collapse. The Liberal Party holds the balance and is pledged to free trade, electoral reform, disarmament and the conquest of unemployment. It would he unworthy of its history if it threw out a Government, implementing these policies. Mr MacDonald must remember that he is the servant of Parliament, and the nation, not of the party executive. The Liberals will not submit again to the indignities to which Labour subjected them in 1924.”

ANGLO-FRENCH DEBT AGREEMENT.

PAPER FEARS MR SNOWDEN AS CHANCELLOR.

(Australian Press Association.)

Received June 4, 1.50 p.m. PARIS, June 3. The newspaper Intransigeant, in view of the “threat” of Mr P. Snowden becoming Chancellor of the British Exchequer, demands a conference of all the party leaders “in an endeavour to arrange the immediate ratification of the Anglo-French debt agreement, in order to confront the British Labour Government with a fait accompli and prevent Mr Snowden demanding a further discussion on the subject to France’s detriment.” LIBERAL ATTITUDE. STATEMENT EXPECTED THIS WEEK. (British Official Wireless.) Received June 4, 2.0 p.m. RUGBY, June 3. No further statement of the views of Mr Ramsay MacDonald or Mr Lloyd George has been made. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Mrs Baldwin when he returned from Chequers to No. 10 Downing Street this morning. Mr Lloyd George has discussed the situation with the other Liberal leaders and a meeting of the Liberal Council will he held this week. Mr Lloyd George is expected to speak in the course of the week at Rugby, where the election has been postponed owing to. the death of the Labour candidate, and it is understood that he will take the opportunity of making a pronouncement regarding tho intentions of his party.

COMBINED UNIVERSITIES.

CONSERVATIVE AND INDEPENDENT SUCCESSES.

(British Official Wireless.) Received June 4, 11.50 a.m. RUGBY, June 3. The result of the election for two members of Parliament, representing the English combined Universities of Durham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham and Bristol, was announced to-day as follows: Sir Martin Conway (Conservative) 4,321, Miss Eleanor Rathbono (Independent) 3394, Professor Conway (Liberal) 2281. Miss Rathbone’s success in obtaining the second seat constitutes an Independent gain from the Conservatives. Miss Rathbone is a member of the League of Nations Commission on traffic in Women and Children, i