RUMOURS DENIED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 73, 23 February 1938, Page 9

RUMOURS DENIED

ALLEGED AMBASSADORESS. LADY CHAMBERLAIN’S VISIT. RELATIONS WITH ITALIANS. (United Press Association—By Electric Teelgraph.—Copyright.) Received February 23, 10.50 a.m. ROME, Feb. 22. Lady Chamberlain, the wife of the late Sir Austen Chamberlain, denies a suggestion in a section of the English Press that she was a sort of an unofficial ambassadoress in Italy. Her visit was private, she added. ‘‘Signor Mussolini is an old friend of mine and Sir Austen, who frequently visited us both,” said Lady Chamberlain. “We knew Count Ciano long before he became Foreign Secretary.” (There had been a suggestion that her reports had influenced her brother-in-law, Mr Neville Chamberlain, and that she. was conveying Signor Mussolini’s desire for a restoration of friendship to England.) No _anti-British matter has been broadcast from the Bari radio station for the past two or three days. GENERAL ELECTION. FEARED ON STOCK MARKETS. Received February 23. 9.40 a.m. LONDON, Feb. 22. Fortunately, firmness on Wall Street will prevent the Cabinet crisis from seriously affecting the markets, but nervousness and perplexity, which have been caused by the gilt-edged waver, indicate another uninspiring account. City opinion is sharply divided, but all' dread a general election, for which reason the majority of city people are probably prepared to stand by the Premier, right or wrong. UNION’S DISMAY. LOSS OF MR EDEN. Received February 23. 11.0 a.m. LONDON, Feb. 22. The executive of the League of Nations Union has passed a resolution of dismay at the loss of Mr Eden in circumstances creating the impression that it was due to foreign hostility to the League. european”settlement. BRITAIN’S NEW POLICY. LONDON, Feb. 21. The., most important factor in the House of Commons debate was Mr Chamberlain’s declaration of Britain’s new foreign policy, says the Associated Press. This emerged as a direct approach for European settlement, by, firstly, talks between England and Italy, secondly, talks between England and Germany and, thirdly, a fourPower pact. Referring to his conversation with the Italian Ambassador, Count Grandi, in which he had stated British essentials for an agreement, Mr Chamberlain, said he had impressed on Count Grandi- that Britain was a loyal member of the League of Nations, and would desire to obtain the League’s approval for any agreement, and if it was to be able to recommend the agreement lor approval the situation in Spain must not have been materially altered during the conversations either by sending of fresh Italian reinforcements to General Franco or the failure by the Italians to implement the arrangement contemplated by the British formula. He also told Count Grandi he was confident that the Italian Government would approach the negotiations in the same spirit as Jlritain, namely, in perfect good faitli and with a desire to reach an agreement.