CABINET DELIBERATES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 17, 18 December 1935, Page 9

CABINET DELIBERATES.

SIR S. HOARE MAY NOT SPEAK. IRONICAL FEATURE. Received December 18, 11.15 a.m. LONDON, Dec. 17. While M. Laval was lacing an angry Chamber, the British Cabinet spent the morning deliberating on how best to meet the House of Commons. Sir Samuel Hoare was not present. His doctors havo advised him not to leave his home belore the week-end, consequently it is unlikely that lie or Mr R. A. Eden will participate in the debate, although it immediately concerns them. The most ironical feature of the situation is that the louder the clamour against the proposals rises throughout the world the more critically Italy looks a gift horse in the mouth. It is understood that Signor Cerutti informed M. Laval yesterday that Italy demands Aksum and control of Assab, leaving Abyssinia only port rights. All foreign concessions must be annulled in the Italian colonisation region in South Abyssinia, where Italy must have full police control. DISCUSSION IN LOBBIES. ANXIETY PREVAILS. (British Official Wifeless.) Received December 18, 1.10 p.m. RUGBY, Dec. 17. Shortly after his return ..home yesterday Sir Samuel Hoare was visited by Mr R. A. Eden, who gave the Foreign Secretary an account of the reception in Geneva of the Paris plan. Later the Prime Minister called and had a conversation with Sir Samuel Hoare. These talks followed a series of Ministerial conversations at No. 10 Downing Street during the day, at which, the newspapers state, a general outline of the statement the Prime Minister will make in the House of Commons was discussed. The Paris plan continues to be the subject- of anxious discussion in the Parliamentary lobbies, where growing interest is displayed in Thursday’s debate. REPLIES' NOT YET RECEIVED. The replies from Italy and Abyssinia to the Paris peace proposals have not yet been made. No reply is expected from Rome until after the meeting of tlie Grand I ascist Council to-morrow night. A semi-official statement issued in Rome indicates that this meeting will be followed bv a request for explanations on certain points and probably a discussion or the objections to other proposals contained in the Paris plan. PREPARATIONS FOR DEBATE.

Major Attlee, Leader of the Labour Opposition, will moye the Labour motion in the House of Com u ions on Thursday, and Dr Dalton will wind up for the Opposition. The Prime Minister will speak for the Government. Lord Davies, who had a motion down for debate in the House of fjords tomorrow, lias agreed to postpone the discussion till Thursday so that the subject will ho debated simultaneously in both Houses. THE EMPIRE’S INTEREST. Today, tlio Imperial policy Parliamentary group, which includes the Right wing Conservative members who have more than once expressed misgivings regarding the League’s action in connection with the Abyssinian question, issued a statement conveying to the Prime Minister its support of the Government in its pursuance of any policy which tends to depart from the use of coercive measures in settlement of the dispute and directs British foreign policy towards the encouragement of conciliatory conversations between the parties concerned. The group stands firmly on the ground that British foreign policy should be based on Imperial interests.