POLITICAL CLEAVAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 257, 29 September 1932, Page 7

POLITICAL CLEAVAGE

BRITISH CABINET RESIGNATIONS. LIBERAL AND LABOUR MINISTERS. SEQUEL TO OTTAWA AGREEMENTS. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received September 29, 9 a.m. LONDON, Sept. 28. Lord Snowden, Sir Herbert Samuel and Sir Archibald Sinclair resigned when tbo Cabinet decided that the postponement of the Ottawa agreements was impracticable. The junior Ministers, the Marquess of Lothian, Sir Robert Hamilton, Mr Isaac Foot, Mr H. Graham White, Mr W. 11. Rea, Major Mackenzie-Wood, and Mr Harcourt Johnstone are also resigning. RESIGNATIONS ACCEPTED. NEW APPOINTMENTS. SIR GODFREY COLLINS INCLUDED. Received September 29, 11.42 a.m. RUGBY, Sept. 28. There is a likelihood that two National Labour Ministers other than Lord Snowden will retire from the Cabinet. The resignations of three members of the Cabinet, Lord Snowden, Sir Herbert Samuel and Sir Archibald Sinclair, were announced after the meeting of Cabinet this morning. Late this evening it was announced that the King had accepted the resignations and approved of the following appointments:— SIR JOHN GILMOUR (Conservative) who has been Minister for Agriculture since 1931, to be Secretary for Home Affairs, vice Sir Her-

bert Samuel. MAJOR ELLIOT (Conservative) Financial Secretary to the Treasury since 1931, to he Minister of Agriculture, vice Sir John Gihnour.

SIR GODFREY COLLINS (Liberal National member of Parliament)

to be Secretary for Scotland, vice Sir Archibald Sinclair. No successor to Lord Snowden has been announced, but the newspapers anticipate that the duties of this office will be combined with those of another Minister.

MEETING OF CABINET. To-day’s meeting of the Cabinet was the first full one since the Ottawa Conference, and it was called to consider the legislation arising out of the agreements reached there. The Opposition of Sir Herbert Samuel and his Liberal supporters to the Ottawa decisions is well known, and in a statement to-night they explain their views regarding them and their attitude generally towards the Government, with whose policy on other than fiscal matters they are in agreement. It is understood that before the resignations took effect Cabinet examined, but found impracticable, the suggestions that legislative action on the Ottawa agreements be delayed. The afternoon meeting of Cabinet was hold in the absence of the three resigning Ministers, and ordinary business was transacted but was not completed when the meeting adjourned until Friday. Their resignations have also been tendered by the Liberal junior Ministers, namely, the Marquess of Lothian, Under-Secretary for India, Mr Isaac Minister for Mines, Sir Robert Hamilton, Under-Secretary for Colonies, Mr H. Graham White, Assist-ant-Postmaster-General, anti three Whips, Sir Mackenzie Wood, Mr Harcourt Johnstone and W. It. ltea. The members of the Liberal Nationalist group led by Sir John Simon have not resigned. STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER The Prime Minister, on behalf of himself and his National Labour colleagues in the Government namely Lord Sankey and Mr J. H. Thomas, made the following statement: — “We put our hands to a very big job twelve months ago and we knew what it meant. The work is not finished and cannot be finished until one way or another there is a reparations and debts settlement, and there is the World Economic Conference, and we go on unt'l these things are done. The nation still needs a non-party Government, and purely party considerations would weaken our national influence in the world and bo a blow at the movements now at work towards the world’s recovery.”

LIBERALS’ LETTER. The elder Liberal statemen, the Marquess of Crewe, the Marquess ol Reading, and Viscount Grey, in a letter from the party headquarters, say that those who share Sir Herbert Samuel’s views on the Ottawa Conference must regard the resignations as inevitable, but the signatories hope that it will be shown that this difference of opinion does not mean jojiwng the Opposition to overthrow he Government, which would shake the financial credit of the country and produce greater distress than ever a mistaken fiscal policy can do. It is important, too. that m Indian, European and international affairs generally the Government should have national support. The signatories understand that, except as regards the fiscal policy, there has been no difference on the main issues inside the Cabinet, and it is hoped that this degree of harmony may be found possible outside of the Cabinet.

LORD SNOWDEN’S LETTER.

POLICY CONDEMNED,

Received September 29, 12.30 p.m. LONDON, Sept. 28. Lord Snowden, in a letter to Mr Ramsay MacDonald, states: “I cannot without loss of self-respect remain a member of a Government pursuing a policy disastrous to the country’s welfare, leading to the disruption of the Empire and fraught with great danger to our international relations. The acute national emergency no longer exists and the main purpose of the National Government has been achieved.

“The British delegation went to Ottawa with the intention of increasing inter-imperial trade and lowering the world tariffs. They have returned after weeks of acrimonious disputes and sordid struggles with vested interests with agreements wrenched from them to avert a collapse of the conference, but which expose the hollowness of the talk of Imperial sentiment in economic affairs. These agreements maintain the existing tariffs and increase the existing duties on foodstuffs. They impose a duty on wheat and raise the price of meat and bacon. By some incomprehensible plan for the restriction of foroign im-

ports the Dominions are to dictate to us where wo shall or shall not buy. The agreements have surrendered our fiscal autonomy and handed to the Dominions the control of the British trade policy, reducing Britain below the status of a Dominion.

“You cannot expect free traders to acquiesce in such a policy of national humiliation and bondage. If there are unfortunate results following the break up of the National Government, the Tories must bear the responsibility. I am convinced that the Tories’ tariff and Imperialst policies will be more dangerous in their permanent effects than last year’s crisis.”

SUPPORT FOR PRIME MINISTER,

Received September 29, 12.40 p.m. LONDON, Sept. 28. “We are not quitters; we shall stay and support Mr Ramsay MacDonald,” said Mr Walter Runciman prior to a dinner of Sir John Simon’s supporters at which he explained the Ottawa agreements.